


Defying Expectations

by dragonslastarc



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Awkward!Ray, Cockblocking, Dirty Talk, Double Penetration, Knotting Dildos, M/M, Mating, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mental bonding, Mpreg, Multiple Orgasms, Pack Bonding, Rut, Scenting, Super Alpha!Geoff, Voyeurism, courting, minor emotional distress for Ray
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-11
Updated: 2015-11-21
Packaged: 2018-02-20 17:12:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 48,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2436482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonslastarc/pseuds/dragonslastarc
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a world where Alphas, Betas and Omegas rely on their instincts to find their Packs and Mates, Ray struggles to understand what it means to be an Omega.  Only when he is courted by not one, but two much desired Alphas does he begin to come into his own.  And that's when his real struggle begins.  With the help of his fellow Omegas, he finds himself and manages to help his Pack along the way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Enticement Unintended

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is partially inspired by Emono's fic "I'd Like It Better If I Could Win At It". Some of the dynamics are taken from that fic, like scenting and Alpha/Omega interactions. However I've tried to give the idea my own twists and I've developed my personal headcannons. So while this runs along a similar vein with the Pack aspects, I've done what i can to make this unique. Also, originally I ended for this to be pretty much exclusively focused on the Burnie/Ray/Joel relationship, as may fics do, this has evolved. The first few chapters are transferred from Tumblr, so they're done, but I make no promises in how fast this will develop or even how long it'll be. That's up to the muses, I suppose. As of now, I have no idea where exactly this is going. I'm always eager to hear suggestions. Now on with the fic! ^_^ Enjoy!

Enticing. That was the first thing that came to mind when Burnie caught the slight scent as it wafted past his office door. Whoever the scent belonged to seemed to pause nearby and it slowly invaded Burnie’s senses, like lowering himself into a hot bath. Despite the analogy, when he took in a slow, deep breath, it heated him from the inside. Reluctantly he released the breath and leaned back in his chair, eyes closed, to allow himself to enjoy the scent as much as possible.

It had a calming effect on him and he found himself drifting in the sweetness of it. His brow furrowed a little as he tried to place the exact nature of the scent. There was a slight hint of tart that was throwing him off. It wasn’t like it really mattered what he called it. In fact, it was probably more important that he find the owner, but for the moment, he was content simply to bathe in it. It gave him a calm and comfort that his instincts labeled ‘mate’. And it had every nerve in his body thrumming with the need to knot and implant his seed. This Omega was fertile and he wanted to watch their belly grow round with his child, for that still unknown scent to mix with his while the child that was both of theirs grew.

His Alpha instincts should have been screaming at him to find his mate and claim the owner of that delicious scent, but he’d never really been the typical Alpha. Instead, he found that his instincts were making him edgy with the desire to fall at the feet of the unknown Omega and beg for the right to mate.

"Chocolate orange."

Burnie started and his eyes snapped open to find Joel watching him with an amused smirk. “What?” Not his most eloquent response, but he figured he could be excused with the scent still clouding his brain.

"What you’re smelling is chocolate orange."

"Hey, yeah." Pleased to put a name to it, Burnie grinned at his long time friend and sometimes lover. "That’s exactly it."

"It’s Ray."

That bit of information halted every thought process for Burnie and he stared at Joel for a long moment. “Our Ray? Ray who doesn’t let Alpha’s that aren’t Ryan or Geoff near him?”

"Yup." Joel closed Burnie’s office door and moved to perch on the edge of his desk. "You know what this means."

"It means I can’t do a fucking thing about the fact that everything in me is screaming that I belong to him."

"Burns, I know exactly how you feel.” They watched each other for a long moment while the implications were absorbed. “He makes me feel the same way you have for years.”

With a heavy sigh, Burnie took off his glasses and buried his face in Joel’s thigh. In response, Joel curled his fingers into Burnie’s hair and scratched lightly. “He’s the thing that’s always been missing, isn’t he.”

"Probably. I mean, I know I love the hell out of you. I look at you and see ‘mate’."

"But it’s not enough," Burnie said. He growled in frustration. "It never has been and that pisses me off."

"Well," Joel drawled, thoughtfully scratching behind Burnie’s ear. "To be fair, it’s about damn time we even looked at an Omega. I mean, aside from each other, we’ve only ever been interested in Beta’s. We’ve known a lot of people over the years who have been pissed at us for going against what they consider normal."

"Oh, fuck normal. So what if we’re both Alphas? That means we just can’t be interested in each other? No. Fuck that. So, uh. I take it this means you’re getting the whole ‘mate’ urge with him?"

"Holy shit I want to knot the fuck out of him," Joel confirmed.

Burnie’s eyes glazed over as he let his imagination go wild. “Jesus, I really want to watch that.”

"Yeah?"

"Oh, yeah." They were silent for a long moment. "So what do we do?" Burnie asked.

"I have no fucking clue, Burns."

"You’re fucking useless, you know that?"

Joel shrugged with an apologetic smirk. “Yeah, I get that a lot.”

"Well," Burnie considered. "I think the first step would be to get him to see that we’re not like those bastards who hurt in him New York."

"And how do you propose we do that?"

"Uh. I’m gonna need a minute on this one," Burnie admitted sheepishly.

A few halls away, Ray allowed his friends to keep chattering on around him while he soaked up the very distracting scents. There were two distinct ones and he couldn’t seem to get enough. His mother had told him about it, years before, when he first presented as an Omega.

How he’d find someone whose scent appealed to him and that his instincts would urge him to submit to whatever Alpha it belonged to. So he’d been prepared even before that Pack in New York had tried to lay claim to him against his will.

What he hadn’t been prepared for was that it would be two, instead of one. He had spent the last few weeks trying to decide which one appealed to him more, but it seemed to be an exercise in frustration. The more he thought about it, the more he wanted both.

The worst part was knowing who the scents belonged to. In the beginning, after he’d first been hired, he had basically refused all physical contact with any Alpha who wasn’t already bonded with an Omega. Those ones were safe. They were already committed to another and treated him like a son, or brother depending on their age.

But Burnie and Joel. They were both unattached as far as he knew. And they were the first he’d allowed himself to get close to, both physically and emotionally. After nearly two years, he’d learned to open up more and had made friends with everyone he worked with, but he’d always had a bit of a tender spot for the older men. And now his instincts were becoming harder to ignore.

It didn’t help that both were kind, charming and handsome. And it especially didn’t help that they both smelled delicious. With Burnie, he always felt like he was standing in the middle of a huge forest and if he closed his eyes he could almost see the various trees that melded together to create the unique scent. Joel smelled like a fire in the best possible way. Whenever Ray caught his scent he felt like he was tucked into a log cabin, sitting in front of a huge fireplace. Their scents were so different, yet similar enough that when combined, they sent Ray’s mind to his recently acquired happy place.

But then reality would crash back down around him. Just because he found them both appealing, that didn’t mean either felt the same. So he did what he’d been doing for months and squashed the urges before following his friends back into the Achievement Hunter office.


	2. Ninja Courting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Burnie and Joel make the first tentative steps toward courting and Ray proves just how oblivious he can be.

It didn’t take long for Burnie to come up with a plan. It started small. Subtle. Joel had wandered into the kitchen to see Ray attempting to scale the shelves in the pantry. His goal seemed to be the bag of assorted mini candy bars on the top shelf, but he was thwarted by his height.

“Stupid chocolate so fucking high up. Stupid fucking short piece of shit,” he muttered angrily. He stretched his hand up and growled when his fingertips just barely brushed the bag.

When the bag suddenly moved, he jerked back in surprise and his footing was lost. He squawked and flailed and when he fell back, he was crushed against a strong chest with an equally strong arm coiled around his waist.

“Whoa, you ok?” The second Joel knew Ray had regained his balance, he quickly let go and took a respectful step back. Even then, he kept a careful watch on the Omega, searching for any minute trace of fear. There were none and the relief hit him like a flood.

“Yeah, I’m good. Thanks for the catch, Joel.”

“Any time.” Joel blushed when he remembered the bag of candy in his hand. “I believe you were looking for this?”

Ray beamed and made grabby hands. “Hell yeah. Gimme.”

Joel laughed and handed the bag over. He watched while Ray dug through before pulling out a mini Snickers. “Fan of Snickers?”

The candy bar was already in Ray’s mouth, so he shrugged and dug through for something else. “At this point I’m just a fan of anything chocolate. I always get crazy cravings about a week before my Heat. Last time it was pickles. The time before it was cheese. It’s always something different.”

The Alpha was suddenly and very aware of the potency of Ray’s scent. “Oh.” There was a beat of silence where Joel fought the urge to just curl up around Ray and the adorable little Omega was oblivious as he continued to munch on his chocolate. “Wait, what are you doing here if you’re so close to your Heat?”

If asked, Ray would say it was a scowl, but the expression that came over his face was dangerously close to a pout. “Hey, I’m careful about that. Besides, even if I didn’t realize what was happening, Ryan and Geoff are totally attuned to me by this point and they can always tell a few days before I start. Geoff even sends me home early because of it sometimes.”

It took every ounce of self control for Joel to ignore his protective instincts. But he did and he nodded stiffly. “Ok. I guess…ok. I uh, I should get back to work. See you around, kid.”

“Later, man. Thanks again for the catch and the chocolate.”

“Like I said. Any time.”

It was another two weeks before Burnie found his chance to make some sort of advance. His was far less subtle than Joel’s but it didn’t seem to faze the strangely oblivious Omega.

With a little research that involved grilling Ray’s fellow lads as well as a few of his other friends from other parts of the company, Burnie discovered Ray’s favorite coffee drink. So bright and early a few days after Ray returned from his Heat Leave, Burnie snuck into the mostly empty Achievement Hunter office with his offering.

So far, Michael and Ryan were there along with Ray. They shared a knowing glance when Burnie did nothing more than nod in greeting before striding over to Ray’s desk.

Before he even reached the desk, Ray took off his headphones and turned around, smiling sleepily at Burnie. “Hey, morning Burns.”

“Morning, Ray.”

The Omega eyed the two cups Burnie carried and raised an eyebrow. “That tired? I mean, it’s Monday and all but that’s a lot of caffeine this early.”

“Actually, this one is for you.” Burnie placed the coffee on Ray’s desk, careful to keep a respectful distance. “I know a lot of Omegas have trouble bouncing back after a Heat if they don’t have an Alpha to help them. So I thought I’d do what I can to help.”

Ray’s face flushed prettily and he quickly took a sip so Burnie could see that he appreciated the gift. His eyes lit up when he recognized the flavor. “How…?”

“I might have asked Michael and Gavin. Then Kerry, Kdin and Miles when they proved useless.”

“Oh. You didn’t have to go to that trouble for me. I totally appreciate it, but you didn’t have to.”

“I wanted to. Just leave it at that.”

Suddenly shy, Ray blushed heavily. He considered everything for a moment. Then he nodded and took another, more generous sip. “Thank you.”

“No problem, Sweetheart. Don’t push yourself too much this week, ok?”

“No promises. Besides, if I do, you’ll just have to bring me coffee again.” Without thought, Ray reached out and caught Burnie’s hand. He gave a quick squeeze before he turned back to his computer to hide his blush.

Burnie knew he was grinning like an idiot at that simple contact, but he really didn’t care. “Deal. Just shoot me a text any time you need coffee.”

“Kay.”

Burnie practically skipped out of the office and headed directly to Joel’s to give him the good news. And if they took turns gushing like love struck teenage girls, well, no one needed to know.

A few days later, Joel delivered the first of many flowers, long before Ray even arrived for the day. Attached was a sweet little note congratulating Ray on another win in Vs. Burnie followed with a single rose the next day because “Tuxedo Mask needs a proper rose”.

The following Monday, Ray found himself agreeing to lunch with both Alphas. After that, every few days he was dragged along by one or both. And on the off chance he wasn’t able to get away from work for a proper lunch break, one of them delivered something directly to him. Interspersed were random deliveries of flowers, each with some stupid little reason that never failed to cause the sweet little Omega to grin, roll his eyes and blush.

And all the while, Ray was happily oblivious of their intentions.


	3. Welcome to the Pack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ray confronts Burnie and Joel about their behavior and Geoff does what any good Alpha would do when the heart of one of his Omegas is on the line.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had fully intended for this to be the chapter where Ray hashes everything out with his Alphas, but overprotective Geoff happened and I got really distracted. Turned out much better than I hoped for. Hopefully the length will make up for the fact that team sweet trio is still in limbo. Enjoy the overload of sweetness that is understanding Burnie and Joel, and overprotective super Alpha Geoff!

There were roses on his desk again. Gorgeous ones with the usual note attached. With a heavy sigh, Ray wandered forward and picked up the card, pausing momentarily to the sniff the roses. He idly wondered who had written the card this time.

Ray, there’s no excuse this time. Only that I saw these and thought you might like them. Enjoy the rest of your day, Burnie

"Dude, you know what this is, right?"

Ray looked over at Michael before dropping the roses into the vase he’d taken to leaving on his desk ever since the flowers had become at least a weekly thing. “What?” He was fully aware of the others in the office staring at him.

"They’re totally courting you."

Startled, Ray dropped into his chair. “Are you serious?”

Jack reached over and grasped his wrist gently. “You really didn’t notice?”

"No. I mean, yeah they keep leaving me roses and shit, and they’ve been taking me to lunch a lot-"

"Or bringing you snacks and drinks all damn day," Gavin added in helpfully.

"But that doesn’t mean it’s courting." He paused for a second to glare at Gavin. "Why the hell would they want to?"

"Look," Geoff started gently. "I’ve known those two for years. And I’m going to tell you something that very few people know. Burnie and Joel have been dating on and off since college. They don’t really advertise it because people get pissy or judgmental when Alphas date each other. I’ve seen both date casually outside of whatever they have together, but nothing like what they’re doing with you. And you can damn well bet that neither would be doing any of this if the other didn’t know. Since they both are, I think they’re trying to ease you into the idea of you becoming a part of it. Like, a permanent part."

Overwhelmed, Ray turned slowly to stare at the roses. The door opened then and everyone turned to see Joel take two steps before stopping abruptly. Every eye on the room was on him and it was absolutely silent. “Uh…hi?”

Ray stared at him for nearly a full minute while everyone else watched on silently. Then the youngest Hunter snatched something off his desk which was promptly shoved into his pocket as he stood. He stormed toward Joel and snatched his wrist as he passed. “We need to talk. Is Burnie in his office?” he demanded.

"I think so?"

"Good." Nothing else was said on the way, but Joel delighted in the fact that Ray kept a firm grasp of his wrist. Any contact was encouraging in Joel’s mind. When they reached Burnie’s office, Gus took one look at them, cut off mid-sentence and bolted. He wanted no part of what was going to happen.

"Uh, is there something I can help you two with?" Burnie asked. He watched in amusement as Ray shoved Joel into a nearby chair and stormed back to the door, only to slam it shut and lock it.

"You two are driving me insane," he blurted. His face immediately flushed, but he stood his ground.

Concern flooded both Alphas and they stood, though they kept their careful distance. “That wasn’t our intention,” Burnie murmured soothingly. “We just…” He glanced at Joel and only received a pained shrug in response. He took a fortifying breath and grasped Joel’s hand for support. ”I guess we’ve been trying to tell you that we’re both interested in you but we were too chicken shit to just say it outright.”

Ray studied them carefully, arms wrapped tightly around himself as a shield. “Why?” He sounded so lost that both Alphas could feel their hearts breaking.

Confused, the older men exchanged glances. “Why what?” Joel asked.

Ray huffed and started pacing in an attempt to alleviate some of his agitation. “Why the fuck are you interested in me? Me?” He drew a stack of small cards from his pocket and waved them around. “All those fucking flowers, the food, the compliments. These…these fucking cards. Why the hell would you go to so much trouble for me?”

"Why wouldn’t we?" Joel asked. The genuine bafflement in his voice caused Ray to stop pacing.

"Are you serious right now? I’m nothing special. I mean, you’re not interested just because you like the way I smell, are you?”

Furious, Burnie clenched his free hand into a fist. “I don’t know how other Alphas act, but your scent has very little to do with our interest. I won’t lie, you smell fantastic and I could spend hours just wrapped around you soaking it in, but it’s not even close to what made us fall for you.”

"And for the record, while we both have been interested pretty much since you were hired, you only started putting off that scent a couple months ago," Joel added.

Ray had frozen sometime around the words “fall for you”, so he had to struggle to understand what Joel had said. “Really? I thought people always smelled like…whatever they smell like.”

"Yeah, but you were traumatized in New York," Burnie pointed out gently. "I’m no scientist, but I’d be willing to bet that you suppressed it as a defense mechanism or something."

"So." Ray hesitated to say anything further. Instead he shuffled through the cards in his hands before gently tucking them back into his pocket. "I just…I don’t know. I feel like I’d be selfish if I took both of you off the market. I mean, there are a lot of Omegas that would kill to belong to you. Either of you."

"Listen," Burnie said. He gently scooped up one of Ray’s hands and smiled when Joel did the same with the other. Between them, their fingers remained tightly linked. "This is probably something that shouldn’t be discussed at work. If you like, we can have a nice, private dinner at my place tonight and discuss everything. Because if you’re going to accept us and allow us to court you, there are a lot of things you need to know."

Joel couldn’t resist lifting Ray’s hand to his lips and he and Burnie were both captivated by the blush that tinted Ray’s cheeks. “There are things we need to know about you, too,” he added. “And boundaries. Those are important.”

"We don’t have to have dinner at my place either," Burnie assured him quickly. "If it makes you nervous or uncomfortable, you can pick where we discuss this. But it needs to be discussed."

They were all silent for a while as Ray thought about it. Finally the youngest nodded. “Ok. Your place tonight?”

The older two beamed. “Of course. Think about what you want for dinner and text one of us later, ok? I can cook for us, or we can do take out. Whatever you want.”

Ray gave him a shy smile. “I like your cooking. And seriously, anything you want to cook, I’m good with it.” He blushed and glanced between them, a bit overwhelmed to have both their undivided attention on him. “I uh, I’d better get back to work before Geoff sends someone to find me.”

Joel kissed Ray’s hand again while Burnie moved in and placed a cautious kiss on his forehead. “One of us will come get you at the end of the day, ok?”

"Ok." Ray glanced back at them one more time before he unlocked the door and disappeared.

At once, Burnie and Joel let out delighted laughs and clung to each other joyously. “We’re the luckiest sons of bitches on the planet,” Joel decided. He buried his face in Burnie’s neck and breathed deeply, allowing Burnie’s happiness to seep into him and mingle with his own.

"We really are."

After that, the day seemed to both drag and fly by all at once. It was disorienting, but all three managed to get through it without incident. When it came time to leave, Joel was out of his office and down the hall before he could even properly think about it. His bag was thrown over his shoulder and he was thankful for his own foresight that his things had been packed up for a while. He skidded to a stop outside the Achievement Hunter office and paused for a moment to regain his composure. He opened the door and Geoff immediately pinned him with a sleepy look.

Joel silently allowed the other man to take measure of him and whatever conclusion Geoff came to, it seemed like there was some level of approval. “I hope you’re happy. You and Burnie got him so wound up he put Gavin to shame in terms of hyper activity. I finally got him settled down enough to edit his shit about twenty minutes ago.”

An amused snort escaped Joel. “I blame Burnie. I’m the charming one here. He’s the one that stirs up trouble.”

“Yeah, whatever, Prince Charming. Go gather up your little Omega Prince and get him the hell out of here. He wore out my other Lads.”

Joel followed Geoff’s gaze to the couch to see Gavin and Michael puppy piled and napping. The sight was impossibly adorable. “That’s impressive.”

“You didn’t have to deal with all the shit they did today.” Before Joel could say anything else, Geoff turned to the only conscious Lad. “Ray, one of your dates is here.”

For a moment, there was no reaction. Then Ray turned and offered a shy smile as he pulled off his headphones. “Hey.”

Nerves and excitement mixed in a strange, heavy feeling that settled low in Joel’s belly. He returned the shy smile with one of his own. “Hey.”

Jack let out a soft snort of amusement and only rolled his eyes at the glare Joel sent him.

“Shut up, Jack,” Joel hissed. He turned back to Ray. “You about ready to head out? Burnie’s running to the store to pick up what we need for dinner. We’re supposed to meet him at his place, so if you need to finish something up, we have a bit of time.”

“Nah. I’ve been pretty useless today, so I don’t think I’ll get anything else done. Just give me a few minutes to get everything ready and we can go.”

“No hurry.” Joel dropped into Michael’s chair and just watched the young man click around on his computer, saving and closing out his work. At one point, Ray glanced over at him to see warm brown eyes sweeping over his face as if to commit him to memory. He blushed and focused on gathering everything he wanted to bring home from his desk.

“Ok. Ready to go.” He stood and followed Joel to the door.

Before they could disappear, Geoff whirled around. “Hey,” he said. Joel froze and slowly turned to the other Alpha. One he could willingly admit that he would defer to. A true Alpha among Alphas, and one who had a close relationship with the Omega he needed to a frightening degree. “This is the only time I’m gonna say this, so listen up. Both of you. Joel, you and Burnie damn well better be good to Ray. I ever hear about either of you overstepping any of his boundaries, I’ll tear you both apart with my fucking bare hands. You protect him, you make him happy and you keep him happy. Ray, you keep them both in check. You set your boundaries and you stick to them. You don’t let either of them try and push you beyond what you’re ready for, ok? If they do, you tell me or you tell Ryan. Hell, if you’re too freaked out to talk to one of us, go to the other Lads or Jack. That being said, I fully expect you three to be the happiest mother fuckers I know. Now get out of here, you crazy kids.”

Joel gave a shaky nod. He glanced at Ray to see how he was doing. To his surprise, the Omega was shaking, eyes locked on Geoff. He made a soft sound like a sob and his bag dropped to the ground. Three swift steps closed the distance and Ray threw himself into Geoff’s lap, arms tight around his neck, face pressed hard into that wonderful smelling spot just under Geoff’s jaw. The soothing scent of an ocean breeze surrounded him and calmed his entire being.

There was no hesitation and Geoff’s arms circled Ray tightly. “Shh,” he whispered, hoping to calm the trembling. “You’re ok, baby boy. It’s ok.”

“I know,” Ray gasped. “It really is. Thank you. Thank you, so much.”

A little choked up himself, Geoff laced his fingers in the hair at the back of Ray’s neck and felt the tension leave Ray’s body. For a solid few minutes, they sat there, soaking up each other’s scent and warmth.

When Ray finally pulled back, he offered a wobbly, teary smile. “I wish my dad was the kind of Alpha you are. Maybe if he was…”

“Ray?”

“He’s never been a pack Alpha and he never will be. He has to make a conscious effort to do what comes naturally to you.”

“Hey, you’re part of my pack now, ok? And you’re always going to one of mine. I don’t care if you accept Joel and Burnie as your Mates for the rest of goddamn eternity, I will always be your Alpha.”

Ray smiled sweetly and cupped Geoff’s cheeks. “I could search for the rest of my life and not find a better pack Alpha.” He leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to Geoff’s lips as a submissive sign of their pack bond. “Tell you what. I’ll text you tonight after one of them gets me safely home.”

Geoff grinned. “If I don’t hear from you by midnight I can’t guarantee I won’t show up ready to raise hell.”

“Yeah, ok.” Ray nuzzled Geoff again for a second before he bounced to his feet and beamed at Joel. “Ok, I’m good to go now.”

Joel looked absolutely wrecked, but his smile was brilliant as he held out his hand to Ray. “Let’s not keep Burnie waiting then.”

With absolutely no hesitation, Ray placed his hand in Joel’s and headed for the door.

Before closing the door behind them, Joel glanced at Geoff and dipped his head in a show of deference to his pack Alpha. Geoff smiled and nodded in acceptance. As the door closed behind the pair, Geoff glanced around at the others. Michael and Gavin grinned at him before Gavin squirmed out from under Michael and plopped into Geoff’s lap. He nuzzled into Geoff’s neck, inhaling the combined scent of his fellow lad and his Mate. “I think that was the loveliest thing I’ve ever seen you do.”

Geoff smiled and nipped lightly at Gavin’s pulse point. “Even that time in England?”

“A thousand times lovelier than that,” Gavin murmured. He giggled and pressed kisses all over Geoff’s face. “You just healed something in him that’s never stopped hurting. I don’t think I’ve ever loved you more.”

“You think they’ll be ok?” Michael asked. He had wedged himself into Ryan’s lap, cuddled as close as possible.

It was Jack who answered. “Those three are perfect. Just like you two,” he smiled at Geoff and Gavin, “and you two.” Another smile to Ryan and Michael. “And Caiti and me. It’s one of those things that’s meant to be.”

“Yeah, but we can’t push them. Let it happen naturally. They’ll figure it out.”

Everyone murmured in agreement and Jack gathered his things to head home to his Mate. In the office, the remaining couples scented quietly and mused on their luck at being part of such an incredible pack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m actually surprisingly happy with how this turned out. I can’t resist me some protective Geoff. Hope you enjoyed and as always I encourage any and all feed back! Your support is the thing that keeps me inspired! Until next time, bless your darling hearts!


	4. Their Sweet Omega

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which understandings are reached and Burnie and Joel realize just how wounded their little Omega is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW in this chapter for brief, vague descriptions of rape. Not too much detail because I really couldn't bring myself to do that to Ray....I'm not too happy with this chapter, but it is what it is, I guess.

Ray nervously wandered into the living room and just watched Joel for a few moments. The fact that the Alphas weren’t crowding him or demanding his attention was a huge relief for him. He’d already explored the house, poking around at Burnie’s suggestion and he’d spent a good twenty minutes in the kitchen watching him cook. It was endearing and relaxing just watching the Alpha putter around, stirring various pots and occasionally checking the oven. It was especially amusing to hear Burnie humming softly along with the radio. And it really didn’t hurt that Burnie kept giving him little tastes of what he was making, seeking approval for each dish.

But now, he wanted to spend a little time with Joel. As he watched, Joel tore his gaze from the stocks scrolling across the TV and turned a lazy smile to him. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Ray murmured shyly.

“Want to play something while we wait for Burnie to finish cooking?” the older man offered and Ray jumped on the chance to place himself on familiar ground again.

“Yeah, I’m always up for kicking some ass.” He dropped onto the couch next to Joel and after a few minutes of bickering, they agreed on a game and settled in to play.

Burnie found them a little while later and smothered a laugh at the dumbfounded look on Ray’s face.

“How?” Ray wondered. “How the hell does someone actually do this?”

Joel watched Ray’s face rather than the screen as the young man wandered around his Minecraft world, taking in the chaos and uniformity that somehow melded together to create the incredible structures.

“It’s like looking into his mind, isn’t it,” Burnie mused.

Ray glanced over, but quickly turned back and stared again. “This is ridiculous. When do you even have the time to do this?”

“Sometimes I have trouble sleeping, so I build. It’s relaxing and it helps me get back to sleep.”

“No joke, if I played all day, every day for like a year, I would never be able to do something like this. You’re insane. Is that a fucking ship?”

Joel just laughed brightly.

“Ok, guys. That’s enough video games for now. Dinner’s on the table. And if you don’t eat it, it’ll hurt my poor little feelings.”

Joel leaned toward Ray and whispered a little too loudly to be a secret, “he just wants to feel like he’s providing for us. Like the good Alpha he is.”

Ray giggled and Joel beamed like he’d been given the world. Even Burnie, who grumbled darkly about spitting on Joel’s steak, couldn’t help but grin.

All day, each of them had thought that dinner would be some awkward, silent affair while they all dreaded the coming conversation. Instead, they spent the duration of the meal discussing various projects from each of their offices, sharing amusing stories as they thought of them and generally enjoying the company. It wasn’t until Joel cleared their plates while Burnie put away the leftovers that Ray started getting nervous. He silently followed the Alphas into the living room and looked around.

After a moment, Ray curled himself into one of the recliners which, judging by the aroma surrounding him, was probably Burnie’s favorite. Both Alphas had opted to sit together on the couch, allowing him the same space they had given him all evening. Ray was grateful for that, but also pleased that he had Burnie’s scent to ground him for the coming conversation. “So,” he said slowly. Unsure, he stopped at that and shrugged helplessly.

Joel tilted his head slightly and Ray had the sudden insane urge to tackle him to the ground and nuzzle the hell out of his neck. “Just to be clear here, Geoff told you something about us?” he gestured between himself and Burnie.

Ray nodded. “Yeah. He said…that you two have been dating on and off since college.”

“We have,” Burnie confirmed. “We’ve been on more often than off, but…I don’t know. Sometimes, we just…”

Joel sighed heavily and slid his hand into Burnie’s. “Sometimes it wasn’t enough. What we had. It wasn’t…we could never form a Bond.”

Ray’s eyes widened. “You wanted to?”

“Well, yeah.” Burnie glanced over at Joel and smiled softly. “Of course. I mean, we’re both Alphas yeah, but that’s never mattered for us. And believe me. We sure as hell tried to bond, but genetically…it’s not built into Alphas to bond with each other.” They watched as Ray’s eyes glazed a little. “You ok over there?”

A brief pause, then a dazed nod. “Uh, yeah. Just…imagining it.” Ray’s face turned bright red and he hid his face in his knees. “And neither of you Bonded with an Omega?”

“Well, if we had, they’d be here, wouldn’t they?” Joel reasoned. “Neither of us has ever been interested in Omegas before you. When we dated outside of this,” he gestured with their linked hands, “it was always a Beta. And once Geoff hired you, even that stopped.”

“Why?” Ray asked softly. He shifted until he could just barely see the duo over his knees.

Burnie sighed and pressed a little closer to Joel. “Because the day you walked into the office for the first time, both of us realized exactly what’s been missing in our relationship. We’re not expecting anything you aren’t prepared to give us. And we never said anything until now because we wanted to get to know you first. A Bond is nothing to take lightly. And while we both have always found you attractive, we wanted to be sure that we were attracted to more than just your looks.”

“Oh.” He stared hard at his clenched hands. “I want this,” he blurted and instantly flushed. “I mean, yeah I’ve been through…some pretty terrible things back in New York. But it’s different here. I’ve been pretty much terrified of Alphas since about a month after my change. I know everyone knows I was attacked. I…”

“You don’t have to tell us,” Joel assured him. “If you’re not ready to talk about it-“

“No. I need to do this. So you both understand where I’m coming from here. I was bussing tables at the bar my dad worked at. There was this whole group of Alphas who had been harassing me all night, but they could tell from the scent that the bartender was my dad. So they kept their distance. But I got off work before my dad and started heading home. That same group was waiting for me in the alley. They jumped me. One of them…” He shuddered and dug his nails into his legs. “One of them pinned my arms while another shoved himself in my mouth. The leader ripped my pants off. Like, he literally ripped them off. He didn’t care that I wasn’t wet. He just…” After a few deep breaths to calm himself, he lifted tear filled eyes to see that Burnie and Joel looked torn somewhere between agony and fury. “A few of the regulars heard the commotion and they raised hell. Pretty much everyone still in the bar flooded out into the alley and beat the shit out of the bastards while a few Omegas helped me inside and cleaned me up. I got really lucky that they showed up before the son of a bitch knotted me.”

“Ray,” Joel ground out. He twitched like he wanted nothing more than to gather Ray up and protect him forever. Burnie clutched tightly to Joel.

“I’m ok now. I mean, yeah, I still wake up freaking out that he’s…hurting me again. But…Geoff and Ryan helped me get over a lot of that. And now you two. I trust you and I don’t trust easy. I just need you to know that it might take a while before I’m ready for anything…intimate.”

The Alphas stared at him for so long he started getting worried. What if they didn’t want to touch him after he’d already been taken by an Alpha? What if they thought he was dirty, or they didn’t want some used, broken Omega?

“Ray, would you…” Burnie struggled to find the words he wanted. “Can we hold you?”

Four simple words that opened the floodgates of relief and Ray smiled shakily. Instead of answering, he climbed from the chair and squirmed between them. As if they had practiced it, both Alphas buried their faces in either side of his neck, arms tangling around him and each other until it was difficult to distinguish each individual. Despite the tight grip, Ray knew that a single word from him would end all contact. That revelation soothed him almost as much as the familiar scents surrounding him.

“We don’t care,” Joel growled softly. His voice was muffled where his lips pressed against the base of Ray’s throat. “We don’t care how fucking long it takes for you to feel fully comfortable with us.”

Burnie nodded in agreement. “It doesn’t even matter if you never want to be intimate. We will happily take whatever you’re willing to give and nothing more.”

“We just want you to be our Mate.”

Earlier that evening, when Geoff had said the wonderful things he had about being his Alpha and affirming his place in the pack, Ray had felt a strange shift inside him as if a broken piece had settled into place. He’d felt another while watching Burnie cook, and another while Joel had allowed him to see the results of his long hours of chaotic building. Now, sandwiched between the two men, he felt another piece settle into its proper place. He was far from fully healed, but he wasn’t shattered anymore, either.

“I want that, too,” the Omega whispered into Burnie’s hair. “If-“ He cut himself off with a blush and promptly hid his face in his hands.

Gentle hands grasped his wrists and he reluctantly allowed them to be tugged down. “If what?” Joel prompted.

“I just…don’t want you guys to get mad at me,” Ray admitted. “Because I want to kiss you both right now, but what if I freak out and change my mind? Like what if tomorrow I freak out about it or something?”

Burnie smiled softly and pressed a kiss to Ray’s hand. “Then nothing changes. We both meant it when we said whatever you’re willing to give. If you decide tonight that you want kisses, that’s what you’ll get. And if tomorrow you change your mind, we’ll stop immediately. You’re allowed to change your boundaries whenever you want in whatever direction you need to.”

“Really?”

“Really.” Joel grinned and nuzzled Ray’s jaw gently. “We belong to you, Ray. We have for a long time. Whatever you say goes. You’re the one in charge here.”

“Oh.” He suddenly looked distressed and the Alphas scrambled to figure out what they did wrong. “Well, fuck. Now I don’t know which of you to kiss first.”

Laughter surrounded him and he pouted.

“We could flip a coin,” Joel suggested, still snickering against Ray’s shoulder.

“Or play rock, paper, scissors.”

“You’re on, Burns.” Joel immediately held out his fist, grinning when Burnie rose to the challenge. Several rounds later, during which Ray struggled to hold his pout, Joel crowed in triumph.

Though Burnie looked a little disappointed that he wouldn’t get the first kiss, he sat back and raised an eyebrow. “You know, I don’t think I’m even really all that bothered by having to wait.”

“Why’s that?” Joel asked suspiciously.

“Because I get to watch. Kind of win-win for me.”

Joel rolled his eyes even as he slid his fingers into Ray’s hair. The pretty blush that dusted the young Omega’s cheeks managed to distract him for a moment. “Is this ok?” he asked softly.

Ray smiled nervously and nodded. There was another beat of hesitation before Joel closed the distance between them and caught Ray in a sweet, soft kiss. Immediately, Ray melted into it with a sigh that was like a punch to the gut for the Alphas. It was Ray who tentatively deepened the kiss by nibbling lightly on Joel’s lower lip.

The effort to pull away was tremendous, but Joel somehow managed and he watched as dazed eyes opened and struggled to focus on him. Ray grinned lazily before turning to Burnie. Emboldened by the positive response from Joel, Ray leaned in and kissed his other Alpha. When Burnie pulled away a moment later, he whined softly, torn between being grateful that the Alphas were keeping to the slow pace he needed and disappointed that he hadn’t gotten more from them.

“Slow,” Joel whispered, kissing Ray’s neck again. “We’re going to take this slow. Because I think all three of us need that.”

Burnie dropped a kiss on Ray’s shoulder before he stood and wandered down the hall. A minute later, he returned with an armful of blankets and pillows which he dumped on the floor and arranged it into something resembling a nest. While he set about dimming the lights and searching for remotes and controllers, Joel scooped Ray up.

“Joel,” Ray squealed. He laughed when Joel placed him in the nest and curled up next to him. When Burnie curled into his other side, his laughter died. The debate over what to watch on Netflix was ignored completely. Instead, Ray pulled them both closer and just drifted in the comfort of their heat and scents. By the time a movie was chosen, he was already dozing lightly.

For the first time in years, he felt safe. And for the first time in years, he felt like he had a chance at being whole again. He silently thanked his entire pack for the little things they had been doing that pieced him back together little by little. Mostly he was grateful for his Alphas. Because of them, he wanted to be able to accept intimacy. He wanted to be able to mate with them and to form a Bond. For them and more importantly, he realized, for himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, your comments and support sustains me. I truly appreciate your enjoyment, so let me know what you like here and anything you'd like to see. Until next time, bless your darling hearts!


	5. Nerves and Mates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there are more Achievement Hunter Pack feels and we catch a brief first glimpse into the Myan love.

There was something incredibly sweet about watching Joel and Burnie’s attempts to be sneaky about their individual courting methods. Where Joel tended to be more about leaving little gifts simply for the opportunity to see Ray smile, Burnie made it his mission to learn new recipes in order to feed them to their little Omega and watch as he enjoyed every bite.

Ray, for his part, loved every second of attention. He’d been under the impression that he would never find his true Mate. Even before the attack in New York. And to have two? He figured it would take a while for it to sink in.

Following the night where he and his Alphas reached their understanding, his energy level seemed to sky rocket. The fans noticed immediately. They all seemed to react positively to his rapid and sudden increase in energy and there were thousands of comments noting the joy he seemed to radiate. 

It had only been two weeks since then. Hardly anything in their relationship-oh, God, relationship!- had changed. Both Alphas still treated him with the same cautious respect, only they touched him more. Granted, they always seemed to hesitate before hugging him or something, just waiting for Ray to complete their aborted movements. It was sweet, but it was rapidly become frustrating.

Fear of rejection, however unfounded, froze him. Every time he resolved to point out their reluctance to touch him freely, he was assaulted by an almost crippling terror that they would be offended and throw him to the curb. Rationally, he knew that even if they suddenly got tired of him, they would be as kind as possible, but that didn’t stop his natural reactions.

With these thoughts in mind, he timidly tapped Geoff on the shoulder.

The Alpha turned and immediately shoved to his feet when he saw the look on Ray’s face. Considering how giddy the lad had been for the previous weeks, to see the look of discomfort and barely concealed nerves set off every protective instinct he had. He instantly scooped Ray up into a hug and felt the Omega melt against him. The rest of the office fell silent, observing the way Ray burrowed into Geoff’s neck and inhaled deeply. When Geoff started running his fingers through Ray’s hair, the Omega visibly relaxed.

“Geoff,” Ryan said gently. When Geoff looked over at him, the younger Alpha gestured to the couch.

“Right.” Geoff scooped Ray up and settled on the newly cleared couch. Almost immediately, Michael and Gavin plunked down and snuggled into their fellow Omega. Jack and Ryan stood nearby waiting to see if they were needed as well, but with the way Ray was practically purring already, they didn’t think it was necessary.

“What’s wrong?” Gavin demanded. It wasn’t unusual for him or Michael to seek a little scent comfort from either of the Alphas. Caiti had even given them leave to cuddle Jack if the mood struck. But until now, Ray had never really factored into the office Alpha/Omega dynamics they all seemed to fall into naturally.

Ray picked at a piece of lint on Geoff’s shirt. “I uh…so need to ask you guys something.” He glanced up at Geoff, then over at Ryan. “I sort of need to steal your Omegas after work. And Jack? You think Caiti might…?”

“Of course. I’ll call her in a little while. I’m sure she’ll want to be in on whatever Omega bonding you’re planning.”

“Thanks.”

“You want to talk about what’s bothering you?” Geoff asked gently.

Ray blushed and burrowed further into Geoff’s neck. “It’s…it’s sort of an Omega thing. I promise if it was anything really serious, I’d tell you.”

Almost as if on cue, the door opened and Burnie’s mouth, which was open to presumably ask something, snapped shut. He looked like he’d been punched in the gut.

“Ray?” he asked, but it came out in more of a whimper. Geoff’s eyebrows shot up. He’d never heard that sort of sound come from a fellow Alpha. But then, he’d never known anyone like the three men just scratching the surface of their relationship. He’d caught glimpses of that unusual dynamic with Joel and Burnie where they seamlessly swapped dominance with each other without any sort of outward sign detectable to anyone else. But this was something else. It became something else entirely the moment they brought Ray into it.

It was clear to everyone that it would take a while to find a balance between them all.

At the sound of one of his Alphas voices, Ray squirmed out of Geoff’s lap, only pausing long enough to kiss Geoff’s jaw lightly. Then he bounded over to Burnie, a new bounce in his step after the others had balanced him a bit. He gave Burnie a sweet smile, the one Burnie had fallen in love with, and cupped his cheeks.

“Hey,” he whispered, pulling the Alpha down into a slow, warm kiss.

Gavin, delighted to see the youngest Omega of his pack so happy, made a pleased noise in the back of his throat as he squirmed into Geoff’s newly vacated lap.

Burnie slid gentle hands around Ray’s hips, pulling the little Omega close. He reluctantly pulled back from the kiss and pressed his forehead lightly to Ray’s. “You ok?”

“I’m good. You came here for something, though. What’s up?”

“Just wanted to see if you were interested in lunch with me and Joel.”

Ray’s face brightened even further. “Did you make something?”

Pleased, Burnie grinned and nuzzled Ray’s cheek. “Yeah. I made that pasta thing you liked so much.”

“The one you made last Friday?”

“Yup.”

Ray made a happy noise and practically climbed him. “Well what the hell are we waiting for? That pasta’s the fucking best! I need it in my belly now.”

He grabbed Burnie’s hand and dragged him off, too distracted by the thought of food to see the way Burnie’s eyes darkened at the mention of his belly.

Ryan happened to see it though, and he grinned at the thought of Ray’s belly swelling with either Joel or Burnie’s child. One thing at a time. Though, he couldn’t help but imagine his own Mate carrying their child.

As if he heard the though, Michael ducked under Ryan’s arm and tucked into his side. “Think Ray has any idea what he just said and what it’s doing to Burnie?”

“Not a chance. He’s so naïve, but it works for them, I guess.”

“Yeah.” Michael smiled up at Ryan. “Speaking of lunch…”

“Your pick today, right?”

“Of course. Jersey Mike’s?”

“Sounds good.”

They gathered their things while Jack did the same. Gavin and Geoff seemed perfectly content cuddle on the couch and scent. On the way out of the building, Michael insisted on peeking into Joel’s office and they were delighted to see that Ray was perched happily on Joel’s lap while Burnie fed them both.

Once they were settled at a booth each enjoying their separate sandwiches, Michael gave Ryan a contemplative look. “You ever think about it?”

Ryan froze for a second before he finished taking his bite. He took the moment to consider what Michael could be talking about. He swallowed his bite and decided just to ask. “Think about what?”

The blush on Michael’s face was impressive, but he was just as determined as always. “Having kids.”

To say that Ryan was surprised would be an understatement. “Do you?”

“Yeah. All the time actually. We’ve been Mates for, what? Almost two years? And we dated for a few months before we Mated.” He struggled for more words and nervously picked at his sandwich.

Ryan smiled softly and scooped up one of Michael’s hands. When he pressed a gentle kiss to his Mate’s wrist, he was treated to a beautiful blush and a shy smile that had once been so unfamiliar. “I love you,” he murmured.

Michael cupped Ryan’s cheek in his hand and stroked it tenderly with his thumb. “I love you, too.”

“Do you think we’re ready to have kids now?”

“Loaded question. I think we’ll probably never be ready, but I think I’m ready to try.”

“Ok.”

“Just like that?”

“Yeah. Honestly, I’ve wanted to breed you since the first time I met you. Figured it would be a good idea to court and Mate with you first. I guess I’ve been waiting for you to be ready.”

The smile Michael gave him was so suggestive that Ryan felt an instant flare of desire. “This mean I can finally ditch those fucking awful pills?”

“God, I hope so.”

“Just so we’re clear here, I’m going to ride your knot pretty much nonstop for the entire weekend.”

Ryan pressed another kiss to Michael’s wrist. “I take it you intend to be pregnant by Monday?”

“Oh, screw that. By Friday night. The rest of the weekend is gonna be for celebration.”

The rest of lunch was spent in a renewed sense of affection. The others knew something was up when they spent a little while with Michael curled up in Ryan’s lap while they whispered and giggled together.

Gavin draped himself over Geoff’s back and rubbed their cheeks together. “They’re like they’re newly courting all over again,” he whispered to his Alpha. “Wonder what they’re up to.”

“Leave them alone,” Geoff murmured. “They’re probably just hitting one of those relationship events.”

“Like us?”

Geoff grinned and tilted his head back for a kiss which Gavin was all too happy to provide. “Like us. And listen, I know you want to tell everyone now and all, but I still want to wait until that barbecue at Burnie’s in a few weeks.”

“I know. That way everyone’s there and we can tell them all at once.”

“Exactly. Now get back to work. We have a few let’s plays to record today.”

“And then our Omega night at Ray’s.”

Geoff pouted and noticed that Ryan was just as disappointed to be without his Mate for a night.

Ray seemed to notice as well and rushed to assure his pack. “I promise it won’t be all night. I just really need to talk to them about some Omega stuff. And as much as I love you guys, I’m not ready to bring any Alphas into this.”

Ryan and Geoff exchanged pained looks. “Ok, but if it’s anything really serious, you can’t be mad if Michael or Gavin tell us.”

“I won’t,” Ray assured them easily. “And really, I won’t care if they do anyway, but…you know. Omega thing.”

“And considering this is the first time you’ve ever begged for an Omega only night, we gotta give you that.”

“Guys, we’ve got to get recording if we want to actually finish sometime before the weekend,” Jack reminded them.

“Oh, good,” Geoff said happily. “So we’ve got two days, then.”

Several halls away, Joel and Burnie exchanged glances at the muffled thumps, followed by giggles, shrieks and swearing. Whatever the Achievement Hunters were up to, they wanted no part in it. Alphas they may be, but idiots, they were not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not much to say to this one. Just that I appreciate any comments and criticisms you might have. And until next time, bless your darling hearts!


	6. Omega Bonding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the Omegas bond and Ray discovers a previously unknown depth of courage.

Ray was happily surrounded by a strange, but comforting cacophony of scents. He considered with some delight that his apartment would be permeated by the time the other Omegas left and that it would linger for a while.

It was a lovely thought, to know that his fellow Omegas would be able to comfort and soothe him even when they’d gone home to their Mates.

At the moment, Michael had sprawled across the couch, legs flung comfortably over Ray and Gavin, who had draped himself over the Hispanic. Caiti found a comfortable perch on the arm of the couch with Michael’s head in her lap. While she waited for the explanation on the Omega night, she took to playing with the auburn curls, pulling them gently and releasing them so they sprang back into place.

“Knock it off,” Michael grumbled halfheartedly. He attempted to bat at her hands, but she simply giggled, nuzzled his cheek and kept at it.

“So,” Gavin began. He poked Ray in the cheek and grinned. “What’s with all this?”

To be fair, Ray hadn’t really expected to get through the conversation without blushing. “I need your guys’ help.”

That caught their attention. Michael sat up quickly and Caiti slid down off the arm of the couch to curl up behind him. “With what?”

“It’s…It’s about Joel and Burnie.”

“Did they do something?” Gavin demanded. “Because I’ll call Geoff right now and-“

“No! Oh, fuck. No, they didn’t do anything. That’s…that’s kind of the problem. I need help figuring out how to tell them that they’re frustrating the hell out of me.”

“Oh, sweetie, I don’t think I can really help. I’ve never been with an Alpha. It’s entirely different handling a Beta.”

“Seriously,” Michael added. “I never really had that problem with Ryan. We’ve always been pretty honest and up front with each other. I don’t know how you think I can help.”

Gavin nodded. “Every relationship is different. And no offense, Ray, but yours is even more different and complicated than most. Geoff and I courted for years before he even kissed me.”

“Yeah, but you were still unpresented when he first met you and by the time you came over here permanently, you knew where you two stood,” Michael pointed out. “You said it, Gav. Ray’s situation is completely different than any I’ve ever heard of. It’s not like there are very many Omegas out there who can attract multiple Alphas like Ray. And there are even fewer Alphas who want each other and the Omega.”

“You’re special, Ray,” Caiti smiled sweetly. “Honestly, I think you’ll have to talk to Geoff about them. He’s known those two for so long he could help you figure out how to talk to Burnie and Joel about this.”

Ray blushed again. “Yeah, you’re right. I just…I don’t know. I feel like I should be brave enough to talk to them about this without getting another Alpha involved. Like, I totally get that they’re incredible and sweet and patient as fuck, but they hesitate every time they touch me and it’s driving me insane. I want them to trust me to tell them if they push it too far. I want them to hug me and kiss me without being afraid I’ll freak out. But every time I try to tell them that, I get nervous as hell and forget what I wanted to say. It’s so fucking stupid.”

“Maybe you’re having trouble trusting them, too,” Caiti suggested gently. “Because you do know that they’re so incredibly in love with you, right?”

“I…” Ray buried his face in his hands. “You really think so?”

Gavin sighed heavily. “Look, I may not have known those two as long as Geoff, but I’ve known them for quite a while. Neither has ever shown real interest outside of each other. And they were pretty damn happy that way, but now they’re really happy. Just because you agreed not only to let them court you, but you don’t intend to pick one or the other. I think if they were interested in an Omega who wouldn’t have both of them, they’d never bother. You mean the world to them and they just want to make sure they don’t jeopardize anything. I think if you tell them how you feel, they’ll be happy as hell. You have no idea who much they obviously want to be able to do exactly what you want them to.”

“You guys are awesome.”

“Well, of course we are.” Caiti hopped over the back of the couch and wandered into the kitchen. “I’m raiding for comfort food!” she hollered, already buried in the pantry. A few seconds later, a bag of chips hit Gavin in the back of the head. Before he could even get annoyed, a bag of Oreos hit Michael and he scrambled for them. Ray giggled and headed for the game shelf.

The rest of the evening was spent playing various games and munching on treats Caiti kept pilfering from the kitchen.

By the time Ryan showed up to pick Michael up, the Omegas were puppy piled, content from snuggles, scenting and snacks. In Ray’s mind, the three best s-words in the world.

Michael took his time squirming out from where Gavin was sprawled on him and Caiti was once again playing with his hair. Ray managed to disentangle himself first and skipped over to leap at Ryan in a tight hug. “Thanks for loaning your Mate out for the night. I might need to talk to you about Alpha stuff at some point, just fair warning.”

Ryan grinned and nuzzled Ray affectionately. “Any time, Ray. I’ll do whatever I can to help.”

Jack came for Caiti next and when Ray hugged him as well, she snuggled in on the other side. They were on the way down the hall when Geoff appeared. He pushed past Ray and flopped down onto the improvised nest to curl around his Mate. There was a pause before Ray shrugged and joined them.

“You can talk to him,” Gavin prompted quietly.

“Bout what?” Geoff didn’t even bother moving aside from curling an arm around Ray and pulling him just as close as Gavin.

“The whole reason I needed this Omega night was to figure out how another Omega would approach this…thing with Joel and Burnie that’s been bothering me.”

“Oh. You mean their whole afraid-to-touch-you thing?”

“Yeah. Exactly that.”

“Look, I can’t tell you what to say to them. That has to come from you. But you have to be honest. And again, if they don’t respect you, I’m gonna strangle both of them.”

Ray snickered and nuzzled in so he was squished between Gavin and Geoff. “You guys are the best pack ever.”

“Fuck yeah we are. And we’re selective as hell, too. Gotta be awesome yourself to belong with us.”

“I really am gonna have to get a little courage and just talk to them, huh?”

“Yeah. Yeah, you are. So, on that note, I’m gonna take my Mate home and perform my duties as his Alpha while you call your Alphas over and talk to them before you lose your nerve.”

Ray laughed as he watched Geoff haul Gavin up into his arms with a sweet kiss.

“You two have fun. Just make sure you don’t wear Gavin out too much tonight. We still have work tomorrow.”

Geoff smirked while Gavin giggled and winked at Ray. “No promises,” Geoff said. He swept Gavin out of the apartment and Ray immediately scooped up his phone.

Burnie answered immediately and Ray melted at his warm greeting. “Hey, Sweetheart. What’s up? I thought you were spending tonight with Caiti, Gavin and Michael.”

“They all just left. Listen, are you doing anything right now?”

“Joel and I just finished with dinner and we were bickering about what to do next. Want us to come over?”

“Yeah. That’s perfect. Listen…I uh, haven’t really eaten anything but junk food since lunch, so…”

“We’ll get you something to go,” Burnie promised. “Expect us in about 20 minutes.”

“Thanks.”

“Here, talk to Joel for a second. I need to go order your food and he’s making grabby hands at the phone.”

Ray could here Joel repeating, “gimme gimme!” in the background. Ray was still giggling by the time Joel’s chant was cut off. “Ray!”

“Have you been drinking?”

“Nope. Burnie and I agreed to cut down on the drinking cause we know you don’t like it. And I like remembering every moment I spend with you. Does this mean we get to see you tonight?”

“Yeah. After Burnie gets my food, you guys are headed over here.”

“Good. I can’t wait to see you, Baby.”

“Me, too. And I fully expect some sweet makeouts.”

The pleased hum gave Ray a shiver of anticipation even over the phone. “Now I really can’t wait to see you. Can’t wait to taste you, either.”

“Joel,” Ray breathed. “Shit. Tell Burnie to hurry the fuck up. I need my Alphas.”

“Baby, we need you, too. I’ll hurry Burnie up. We’ll be there soon.”

Ray hesitated for a second. “Maybe…maybe you guys could stop by your places and get some clothes? I…I really want you two to stay tonight.”

“You’re sure?”

“Absolutely sure.” He heard the strangled sound Joel made and couldn’t help but grin. “I’m waiting.”

“We’ll be there soon.” Despite the abrupt end to the call, Ray couldn’t stop smiling. He felt pretty damn courageous and if all went well, he’d get to spend the entire night with his Alphas. All in all, a fantastic day, especially for a young man only just exploring what it meant to be an Omega.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the record I was nervous to put Caiti in this because I'm unfamiliar with her. But I couldn't resist, so she was there, but it was brief...maybe next time I'll delve more into her addition to the pack dynamic. Anyhoo, hope you enjoyed and until next time, bless your darling hearts!


	7. Of Love and Fear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ryan and Michael grow a little more as Mates and Burnie, Ray and Joel deal with a few more complications of their relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m starting to believe that this story is developing on its own. I go into each chapter with a clear idea of what I want accomplished…then shit happens. A well. It seems to be working so far, so why mess with a winning strategy, right? Ok, enough from me, onward to fun.

Michael was already in bed by the time Ryan joined him. For a moment, the Alpha simply stood in the doorway watching as his younger Mate nuzzled into Ryan’s pillow, soaking up the scent he had been deprived of for the previous hours.

“You never cease to amazing me, Darling. You’re so beautiful and wonderful…I can’t help but wonder why you chose me of all the Alphas in the world.”

Astonished, Michael lifted his head slowly and took in the discomfort that seemed to flow off of Ryan in waves. “Ok, asshole, get over here. And stop blocking me out. I can’t help if you’re standing over there being all self-depreciating and shit.” 

To be fair, neither of them were completely comfortable with the full access bond that Mated pairs had. Mostly they kept to surface emotions and anything deeper than that was saved for their most intimate of moments. Unlike Gavin and Geoff who took advantage to always be in tune with their Mate’s emotional state.

Ryan sighed and crossed to the bed, stripping layers as he went. Michael followed his example and by the time Ryan crawled onto the bed they were both down to their boxers. By unspoken agreement, they didn’t strip any further. Once they were in their favorite cuddle position with Michael on his back propped up against the pillows and Ryan sprawled across his chest, arms tight around each other and Michael’s legs bracketing Ryan nicely, they paused. They held that beat of hesitation for a moment before they slowly brought down their mental barriers and let the other in. As always, that unrestrained mental merge was just shy of completely overwhelming and they both needed a minute to get used to the feeling all over again.

Michael smiled softly when he simultaneously felt Ryan started to tremble even as peace filled him as they settled in and simply enjoyed the intimacy of their bond. “This is why,” the Omega whispered into Ryan’s hair. A soft nod as Ryan nuzzled further into Michael’s chest. “There is not a single person in the world-not even my own parents-who has made me feel this happy or this safe. You remember the first time we met? How I was still acting pissy whenever Geoff tried to do anything for me but all you had to do was smile at me with that stupid shy grin and those unfairly blue eyes and I turned into the Omega I always hated being.”

Ryan huffed a little and shifted so he could see Michael’s eyes. Through their bond, he could feel every bit of love, amusement and patience that his Mate felt for him, but he couldn’t stop his insecurities. “Yeah, but why? I feel like…I feel like I claimed something so incredible that I never had a right to. Like I broke the rules and cheated to somehow win you over when you could have-should have done so much better.”

“Bullshit.” Ryan opened his mouth to argue some more but Michael cut him off with a deep kiss. They briefly lost themselves in the hot, slick slide of tongues and familiar tastes, but Michael managed to remember that he had a point to make. “You are my Mate. There’s no one else who could replace you. If I didn’t want you, I wouldn’t have chosen you. You don’t treat me like some pretty little Omega who’s only there to breed and sit on your knot. It doesn’t bother you that I get loud and pissed off and generally don’t act like a proper Omega sometimes. It’s something you love about me and I know that because even when we back off on the bond, you can’t hide it.”

Before he could continue, Ryan surged up and caught him in another kiss, this one a bit more desperate than the last. “I’ve belonged to you from the day I was born,” he confessed against Michael’s lips. “I knew that the moment I met you. I wanted to throw myself at your feet and beg you to keep me. But I didn’t because I knew that just because I was made for you didn’t guarantee that the opposite was true. The day you asked me to court you was the greatest day of my life because it was the first day I could truly say I was yours. It was the start of our life together.”

It took a solid minute before Michael could swallow down the lump in his throat enough to speak. Even then his voice was still thick with emotion. “You son of a bitch. Just when I think I can’t love you more you have to go and say shit like that. God damn. To be fair though, I didn’t so much ask you to court me as I demanded to know what the hell was talking you so fucking long to ask.” He grinned. “You have to admit, we make a strange pair.”

Ryan grinned and nibbled lightly on Michael’s jaw. “My fiery, fierce Omega.”

“My sweet, gentle Alpha.” Just as Ryan started working on an impressive mark on Michael’s neck, the Omega pushed him away with gentle determination. “Hey, Ry?”

“Hm?”

“I want us to start being more open with our bond.” There was an adorable sort of edge to Michael’s insistence. “Like, all the time. Not just in bed.”

In response, Ryan moved down and nuzzled kisses into his Mate’s stomach. “I was going to suggest the same. Especially with us planning to start a family. When our child is growing inside you I want to be attuned to everything so I can make sure my Mate and my child are safe, happy and healthy. Besides. This is good for us. The whole opening up more thing. And it only took us two years of being Mates.”

“Hey, we’re not the Plan G idiots. We’re Team Crazy-Mad. We do this whole Mates thing differently.”

“No need to be defensive, Darling. I completely agree. We do what works for us. I just think we should be proud of ourselves for evolving a little.”

“We kind of have to if we’re gonna be daddies.”

“Good point. Now.” He purred the word and watched as Michael shivered from that and the undiluted assault of Ryan’s lust over their bond. “What say we start working on that family?”

Michael’s eager response was to tug Ryan up into a sloppy, enthusiastic kiss.

—-

Ray sat back and sighed happily. He had a full belly and his Alphas were bickering adorably as they battled it out in their chosen game. After he cleaned up his dinner mess, he joined Joel and Burnie in the living room and plopped down between them on the couch.

For a few minutes, he watched them play, not really absorbing anything. Instead his mind was on how to approach the subject that had been bothering him. Finally he decided to just go for it. It seemed to work ok with his Alphas so far, so he figured why not.

“I need to talk to you guys about something.”

They froze for a moment. Then Joel paused and Burnie turned off the TV. “I’m guessing it has something to do with you having the other Omegas over tonight?” he ventured nervously.

“Yeah, actually. And looking back on it, it was kind of stupid. Because I feel like we still have some trust issues on both sides.”

Joel looked ready to protest, but a sharp look from Burnie silenced anything he might have said. “Maybe you should…explain? What you mean by that?” he said instead.

“First off, I want you to know that I’m not ungrateful or anything. I just…” Frustrated with himself, Ray scrubbed hard at his face. “I want you guys to touch me without hesitating all the time, you know? I know it’s not the case, but when you do that thing where you stop short of touching me and wait for me to finish the move, it makes me feel like you don’t trust me to not freak out. Yeah, I’ve been through some shit, and yeah, I still have trouble with unfamiliar Alphas. But you two are mine. I want you to trust me to tell you if it goes too far. But I don’t want you to not try. If that makes sense?”

Joel had the grace to look a little guilty, but Burnie looked truly baffled. “I didn’t even realize I was doing that,” he murmured.

“I kind of did. I just…I saw Burnie doing that and I think…I might have started doing it too because of that? I don’t know.”

“If we’re gonna make this thing work, you two have to trust that I want you to do things like kiss me without asking permission, or hug me instead of just holding out your arms and waiting. This is all shit that I’ve wanted pretty much since before I was even hired full time. And I need to stop being so…afraid to talk to you about this sort of thing. I need to trust that you won’t drop me just because I’m too nervous to speak up about something.”

“We’d never,” Burnie confirmed. “You’re stuck with us, Sweetheart.”

Relieved, Ray grinned. He snuggled into Burnie’s side and pulled Joel in so he was draped around both of them. “Yeah, well I could do a hell of a lot worse,” he teased. “I mean, if I’m gonna Mate and bond with-oh fuck.” A thought occurred and he felt suddenly sick. “Oh, fuck!”

Terror and worry gripped both Alphas and they ran soothing hands over Ray. For the moment, however, he was far too agitated to even notice. “What’s wrong?” Joel demanded. “Ray?”

“Come on, Sweetheart, talk to us,” Burnie urged. “Tell us what’s wrong.”

Ray lifted tear filled eyes and looked back and forth between them. “I just realized…bonding…I…”

“Take your time, Baby,” Joel murmured. “It’ll still be a while yet before we’re ready to Mate.”

Ray whimpered and his Alphas instinctively curled closer. “That’s not it,” he admitted. “I just realized…I mean, I’ve been so focused on the baby steps, it never occurred until just now. You hear about Alphas having more than one Omega. Like, some Alphas end up with fucking harems and shit. But have you ever heard of this sort of thing? Is it even possible for an Omega to form a bond with more than one Alpha? I know it’s possible for Alphas to have multiple bonds, but…what if something happens and I only bond fully with one of you? What if I can’t bond with the other? I can’t do that to either of you. What I if I have to choose who to be legit Mates with? I don’t want to hurt either of you.”

Silence filled the room as they all considered the implications. None of them wanted to really consider the possibility that bonding as a trio wouldn’t work. They had all just imagined the perfect future together as Mates. But it was a reality that they would have to face at some point.

“We can’t be the only ones,” Burnie reasoned. It was a desperate grasp for straws. “Can we?”

“Research,” Joel blurted. “We can look shit up, talk to some doctors. We really aren’t ready for that yet, so we do still have time to figure this out. There’s a solution to this. There has to be.”

“But what if there’s not?” Ray persisted. “I know we all want there to be, but what if there’s not?”

“Then we’ll figure that out when we get there. I really do think there’s a way for this to work out how we want, but in the event that there’s not…we’ll figure it out together. The idea of not forming a bond is…God, it fucking hurts, but I’d be willing to go without so long as I can keep being with both of you.”

Burnie nodded firmly. “Same.”

Between them, Ray was very quickly realizing that he was far more afraid of not forming that bond with both Alphas than he ever was of intimacy. “I’m really tired,” he murmured into Burnie’s shoulder.

“Let’s get to bed, then.” Burnie gently scooped Ray up and carried him to the bedroom while Joel went around and made sure all lights were off and the door was locked.

They all went about their nightly routines until they ended up in a pile on the bed, tangled tightly together. Surrounded in darkness, Ray gathered the courage to speak his mind. “I know you both would willingly pass up on bonding for the other’s sake, but for me it’s all or nothing. I can’t stand the thought of not bonding with both of you.”

Joel took a shaky breath and pulled both closer. “There’s a way,” he whispered. “I’m sure of it.”

“Let’s get to sleep,” Burnie suggested. “At this rate we’ll all be too exhausted to work tomorrow.”

Despite their attempts to sleep, it took each of them a while before they drifted off.

In the end, they were late to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the record, I had absolutely intended for this to be nothing but fluff and enough sweetness to rot some teeth. I wasn’t even going to address the whole bonding thing for another couple chapters, but…well, here we have it. I’d apologize for the sudden angst, but it actually worked out quite well. Also, I felt like introducing the whole mental bond between Mates aspect by way of some Myan cuteness worked pretty well, too. I hope I was clear on how that whole thing worked, but in case anyone is still confused on that, I’ll explain:
> 
> A mental bond is formed between Mates the first time they knot (which is why it’s such a relief that Ray was saved before that happened and he was stuck with an unwanted bond). That bond allows Alphas the ability to feel when their Omega needs them, be it for comfort, if they’re in danger or for any number of reasons. With practice, that bond can be regulated if Mates still want some privacy (like with Michael and Ryan) or they can be open completely (like Geoff and Gavin). The bond works at varying distances depending on the emotional connection between the Mates.
> 
> As for the harem thing, in the past of this reality, it was fairly common for an Alpha to take several mates for the purpose of breeding. In the current timeline, it’s less common, but not unheard of. Some use that bond as a show of force and superiority, while others genuinely care about their Omegas.
> 
> To be clear, I do have the solution to the Burnie/Ray/Joel problem, but it won’t happen for a while yet. I still have plans. Bwahaha.
> 
> So that's all I have so far as transferring this from Tumblr. From here on out, the updates will be fairly sporadic, but I will do my very best to post as often as possible. I'm happy to take any prompts for anything you'd like to see in this universe, so send 'em my way!
> 
> As always, thanks for reading and until next time, bless your darling hearts! <3


	8. Cockblocking 101, or the Frustration of Ray

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ray gets a little alone time with Burnie and other people have terrible timing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! We're getting into some of the more smutty ideas I've had rolling around in my head. To be honest, I feel a little awkward about posting anything like this, but I figure I just need the practice, yeah? And yes, there is much smut (and I imagine it will become quite detailed) in the future. I actually had a lot of fun writing this one and I can't wait to get some feed back. Onward to the fun!

The office was generally a light hearted environment where jokes, friendly teasing and flirting that meant nothing were practically a requirement. It never took long for even the most introverted of Omegas to find their niche. Case in point: Ray.

Unfortunately there were always a few who managed to sweet talk their way into the company who just didn’t belong for any number of reasons. While the office Alphas were always quick to resolve such issues, sometimes they weren’t fast enough to prevent some of the damage.

A prime example was the cocky young Alpha who didn’t take kindly to working under Kerry. Oh the intern was well aware of how Kerry was favored and doted on by any number of Alphas but that didn’t seem to register when all the intern could see was that his boss was a shy, slightly awkward Omega who had very little self worth. By the time Miles realized what was going on, Kerry’s self-esteem was at an all time low thanks to the smug intern.

When Miles walked into the RWBY office to drag Kerry in for some lines for Neptune, he found his favorite Omega being mentally brutalized. Blaine, who had been wandering down the hall, heard the furious growl just as Miles launched himself at the intern. All Blaine had to see were the tears on Kerry’s face and he joined Miles in the fight. By the time the two young Alphas were pulled off the intern, he was a bloody mess, Kerry was crying and babbling in the middle of a Lad pile, and Burnie and Matt were restraining themselves from taking a few swings of their own.

That had been months before and while the intern had been arrested and they never saw him again, Miles was still working to rebuild what the bastard had broken down.

Unfortunate though the event had been, it served as a learning experience. New guys, particularly Alphas, were to be watched carefully until they proved their worth, and anyone in charge of hiring made damn sure they weeded out those they didn’t trust on sight. Omegas were watched carefully for any behavior that was out of character or cause for concern. It didn’t matter what department anyone worked in, Rooster Teeth was a family. A large, sometimes confusing pack, and they looked out for their own.

Ray had to keep that in mind the twelfth time someone stopped him in the halls to ask if he was ok. To his irritation, more than once he was cautiously asked if Joel or Burnie had done anything to upset him.

Which lead to now. His quiet mumble to Geoff that he was headed to find one of his Alphas got him some more concerned looks, but he shook them off and wandered down the hall.

Without so much as a courtesy knock, he opened Burnie’s office door and stopped short. And every bit of irritation and worry he’d felt since the previous night just kind of disappeared. Because Burnie had Joel pinned against his desk. As Ray watched, Joel hooked a leg around Burnie’s hip, pulling him in closer and the Omega couldn’t help but see the minute movements as they ground their hips together.

But it was really the overwhelming scent that was shorting Ray’s brain. In addition to that familiar cabin-in-the-middle-of-nowhere scent that they melded to create, Ray found himself drowning in the combined arousal of both his Alphas. As quietly as he could, he shifted and closed the door. Then he leaned back against it and just watched. It was fascinating to see the way Joel submitted to the other Alpha. The long stretch of his neck as he leaned his head back to grant Burnie’s questing lips access was beautiful.

They were incredible together and it was easy to see how familiar and comfortable they were with each other. For a brief moment, Ray felt like he was intruding. Not only in what they assumed was a private moment, but also their relationship in general.

Joel made all those feelings disappear in an instant simply by unclenching his hand from Burnie’s shirt and extending it in Ray’s direction without even opening his eyes.

Eagerly, Ray took the invitation and plastered himself against Burnie’s back. He only had a second to enjoy the heat and scent before he abruptly found himself between the Alphas. Joel’s hands gripped his hips tightly while Burnie’s ventured boldly under his shirt to rest against his stomach. In an oddly synchronized move, they latched onto either side of his neck and his knees buckled.

He didn’t even bother attempting to figure out which of them was doing what at any given moment. It was all a haze of pleasure for the inexperienced Omega. Where one nipped at his pulse point, the other sucked harshly at the juncture where neck met shoulder. Then one nibbled at his jaw while the other teased his collar bone.

“You smell incredible,” Burnie whispered against his skin and Ray shivered.

“Look even better,” Joel observed. He leaned back to admire the image of Burnie sucking an impressive bruise into the skin just hidden by Ray’s shirt. “God, the both of you. So fucking incredible.”

Ray hummed happily between them. “I’d say I feel bad for interrupting, but I’d be lying.”

“Good. Because we’re enjoying this, too.” The rumble of Burnie’s chest as he practically growled the words into his ear was absolute heaven. So was the soft whimper Joel let out before diving down and catching Ray’s mouth with a desperation that somehow managed to still be sweet.

A knock at the door interrupted them and all three whined. The less than amused look Adam gave them as he opened the door would have been funny if not for how cheated the trio felt at having their moment cut short.

“Seriously?” Adam said. “Joel, you’re supposed to be reading lines for Miles right now.”

Joel scowled at the younger Alpha. “I know.”

“Yeah, well, you’re also supposed to record that stupid video with me after you’re done. I want to get that video done and over with if you don’t mind.”

“Yeah, yeah. Stop trying to order me around. That’s what Burnie and Ray are for.”

That managed to get a smile from Adam before he could stop himself. “Hey, you’ve got the rest of your life to be with them. It’s the other shit that’s got deadlines. And you can blame your Alpha Mate since he’s the one who sets the deadlines for our videos.”

With a heavy sigh, Joel extracted himself from his…lovers? Mates? “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you did this on purpose so you could have Ray all to yourself,” he grumbled, pressing one last, slow kiss to Burnie’s lips. The one he gave Ray lingered a little longer and he was pleased to realize he would be taking the taste of their little Omega with him.

“Not intentional,” Burnie argued, “but you have to admit. The timing is awesome for me. I get to screw around for a little while until you’re done reading lines and Miles comes to get me.”

“Hm, well you two should go ahead and get lunch without me today. Adam’s right. I have a lot of shit to get done.”

Even while Ray pouted, he felt a little thrill at having a lunch date with just Burnie. He adored both of his Alphas, and being at the center of their combined attention was always overwhelming and mind blowing, but it was rare when he had a moment with just one or the other. He made a mental note to suggest more one-on-one dates.

“Well, it’s only fair since you get him to yourself tonight,” Burnie griped.

“Wait, what?” Ray looked up at Burnie for an explanation as Adam dragged Joel from the room. Distantly they heard Adam complaining about how Joel reeked of sex and they both felt a little smug. “What’s going on tonight?”

“I have a shit ton of paperwork to go over with Matt tonight, so I’m probably going to be stuck here for a while after everyone else leaves. The next hour or so is about the only free time I have today. So I’m going to text Geoff and inform him that you’re mine for an hour and he can suck a dick if he expects you back before then.”

“Gavin wouldn’t complain,” Ray couldn’t help but add and Burnie laughed in surprise as he sent the text off.

“Very true. Anyway, when Joel found out, he decided he’s going to spoil the fuck out of you tonight with some sort of super awesome date. I think he’s trying to convince you to make him your favorite or something, but I’ll get my chance for some truly amazing courting. So. What do you want to do for lunch?”

“Can we just order pizza or something and hide in here?”

Burnie nodded even as he studied Ray in concern. “Of course we can. What’s wrong?”

“I uh…let’s order the pizza before we get into this.”

A few minutes later, with their lunch ordered, Burnie dropped into his chair and pulled Ray into his lap. The Omega curled into him, face buried in his neck where the scent was strongest. “Ok, tell me what’s wrong, Sweetheart.”

“I’m just…exhausted. I can’t stop thinking about last night and I think it’s going to bother the hell out of me until we figure this whole bonding thing out. And all fucking day everyone keeps asking me if I’m ok. Aside from the bonding issue, I’m fine. But every time someone asks me what’s wrong, I just keep getting more and more irritated and now the only thing that’s wrong is that people won’t stop asking me what’s fucking wrong. And on top of that, a couple people have asked if you or Joel did anything to upset or hurt me and that just pisses me off because neither of you have been anything other than incredible and I just…I’m tired. Of everyone treating me like glass, or like the office baby brother, and like you and Joel are trying to corrupt me or some shit. The other Achievement Hunters, I’m totally cool with them being like that cause they’re Pack.”

“Oh, Sweetheart. If it really bothers you, I can talk to some of them about backing off. But you know they’re just worried about you. This is all still really new for you and you get the joy of navigating it with not one, but two Alphas. It’s unfamiliar territory for everyone. Like it or not, it’s not just the three of us that have to come to terms with what this relationship means. The whole Pack does, too.”

Ray sighed heavily. “I know.” He shifted a little so he could enjoy the rasp of his stubble on Burnie’s. “I know that, and I keep telling myself that, but it’s still…I’m still getting used to being involved in this whole thing that I’ve always been on the outside of. If it wasn’t for you and Joel I’d still feel out of touch and that honestly kind of scares me.”

Burnie shifted a little and pressed a sweet kiss to Ray’s lips. “You don’t have to worry about that anymore. You have me and Joel now. And you always will. You’re stuck with us now, Sweetheart.”

Ray made a sound in the back of his throat that was not unlike a purr as he pressed closer to Burnie. The sound seemed to unravel what little restraint Burnie had left and with a quiet growl, the Alpha took full and thorough possession of Ray’s mouth. He delighted in every sound his Omega made. The pleased gasp as Burnie’s hand slipped into his back pocket to pull him closer. The nearly inaudible sigh as their tongues slid together. The surprised moan he gave as Burnie’s free hand ventured boldly under his shirt. The way the moan turned into Burnie’s name as his thumb brushed teasingly over Ray’s nipple.

And again a knock at the door interrupted them.

“Fucking cock block!” Ray growled and Burnie chuckled into his neck. He gently nudged Ray out of his lap and went to answer the door. As far as he was concerned, he and Joel were the only ones allowed to see their sweet Omega in such a state.

The intern tasked with bringing the pizza took one whiff of the aroused scent that poured from the room, shoved the box into Burnie’s hand and scampered off. Amused at the knowledge that their lunchtime activities would spread through the building at lightning speed, Burnie turned back to see Ray curled up in his desk chair pouting.

“Ok, get over here.” Burnie dropped onto the little couch and waited until Ray was curled into his side before he opened the box. Ray giggled when he pulled out a piece and insisted on feeding the Omega. And despite the lingering tension between them, they had a peaceful, relaxing remainder of their lunch.

Ray was a little annoyed that Burnie refused to make out with him again since Miles was due to fetch him at any moment and he didn’t want to be interrupted yet again.

“I promise we can pick up where we left off tonight. I told Joel to bring you back to my place after your date.”

That seemed to placate Ray enough and he spent the next few minutes dozing lightly on Burnie’s chest. “Hey, Burnie?”

“Hmm?”

“When was the last time you and Joel had sex?”

A little surprised, Burnie didn’t answer for a minute. “I think it was a little before we started courting you.”

“When you say that, do you mean when you guys were being all sneaky about it, or after you officially asked me?”

“The sneaky thing. Where’s this coming from?”

“I was thinking…I’m not really ready for anything too…intense yet. But I kind of thought…maybe if you guys are ok with it…I could, like…watch? Next time you guys do?” He dared a glance when Burnie made an odd strangled noise.

Dark eyes studied him with no small amount of desire. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah. I’ve been thinking about it for a while now. I figure I’m going to need to build up to joining, but…yeah.”

“We can absolutely make that happen. Holy shit, Ray, I can’t even begin to explain just how hot that sounds.”

“Really?”

“Oh, yeah.”

“Good. Cause I think this is the sexiest I’ve ever felt.”

The only possible response Burnie could think of was to shift Ray around so he was straddled over Burnie’s lap. Then he pulled the Omega close by the hips and caught his mouth in a demanding kiss. “You’re so fucking sexy all the time, Sweetheart, you have no idea. God damn, I can just see it. Joel pinned under me, whining like an Omega in heat. You in the chair nearby, watching.”

Ray whined, pressed closer as Burnie nibbled on his ear, continuing to whisper suggestions. “Oh, fuck, Ray. You’d be so damn pretty, I know it. Maybe you’d be touching yourself, stroking your gorgeous dick in time with me fucking Joel. Maybe even playing with that sweet, slick hole. You’d be so wet, Sweetheart. So wet and ready for us.”

Another knock at the door.

“God fucking damn it!” Ray cried. He didn’t even bother to try and keep his disappointment hidden. “Are you fucking serious right now?”

Miles at least had the decency to look guilty at the interruption. “I uh…I kind of need Burnie to read some lines for RWBY. And Geoff was looking for you, Ray.”

Burnie grinned and gently lifted Ray from his lap. “I’ll be there in a second, Miles.”

The younger Alpha nodded in relief and fled. Regretfully, Burnie pressed one last lingering kiss to Ray’s lips. “I’m probably not going to see you again until tonight. But you’re welcome to stay in here and take care of your problem before you get back to work. I wish I could stay and watch that, but…unfortunately I have to at least attempt to be responsible today.”

Ray scowled at him. “You’re lucky I’m so fucking crazy about you or I’d be seriously pissed off that this is the third time in an hour that you’ve gotten me all worked up and now you’re fucking leaving me.”

“Trust me. If I could, I’d lock the fucking door, bend you over my desk and make you cum just from my tongue, but that’s not an option right now.” He watched as the shiver of arousal wracked Ray’s entire body. “But I can’t promise I won’t do that tonight.”

“If you don’t, I’ll have Geoff beat the shit out of you.”

“Such a feisty little Omega,” Burnie purred. He couldn’t resist kissing Ray again before he reluctantly left the room. Before the door closed, he heard Ray muttering about cock blockers and blue balls.

Nothing in the world could ruin his good mood, especially since Ray’s scent clung to him for the rest of the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo......terrible? Ok? Incredible? Let me know what you think. Also, I'd love to hear any ideas you may have. I'm always open to suggestions. In fact, I live for them. ^_^ Want to see more of the other couples? Have others you'd like to see added in here? Send the prompts my way. This is ever evolving and keeps doing things I never considered before this was ever put to page. Next chapter is already slated to be Ray and Joel's date and Joel has a surprise in store for our favorite Omega. Beyond that, it's up to you guys! Until next time, bless your darling hearts! <3


	9. Not The Usual Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Joel buys Ray a little something and Ray finds a little more of his inner strength.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys are awesome. I appreciate all the support and all the kudos. You guys rock and you sustain me! This chapter is for JewelFlower and kinkyTechnologist for their wonderful, encouraging comments! Still looking for prompts, but just hearing that you guys are enjoying this is honestly some of the best parts of my day. I know it's been said before, but I'll say it again, this fandom is incredible!

Joel practically skipped into the Achievement Hunter office, excited for his private date with Ray. He was glad it was Friday, because that meant there was the possibility to spend the entire weekend with his Mates. Screw bonding, as far as he was concerned they were Mates and nothing could possibly change that. He had every confidence that they would find a solution to the one thing standing in their way.

As he swept into the office, he found that only Ryan and Michael were still there along with Ray.

“Where’s everyone else?” Joel asked.

Ray grinned and bounded over for a sweet kiss. “Jack had a thing so he left early today. Gav and Geoff just left. I think Gavin might be going into Heat or something, cause he was really touchy with Geoff earlier.”

That thought made Joel’s fingers tighten a little on Ray’s hips. “Now there’s a thought. When are you supposed to have your Heat next?”

“Not until a week or so after Burnie’s barbecue, so we’re good to go until then. Why?”

Joel smirked and nuzzled Ray’s cheek. “Because Burnie and I have some stuff to get ready for if we’re going to help you through it this time.”

“Help me?”

“Like make sure you have plenty of food and water, and I’ve been told I build a mean nest. My sister’s Heats used to be pretty bad. That and we need to make sure we’ve got plenty of whatever you’re craving this time around.”

Ray rolled his eyes at the gentle tease. “Brat. So. What’s the plan for tonight?"

“I have a pretty awesome date planned, but aside from you picking where we go for dinner, it’s a surprise.”

“Hmm, cryptic. Ok, give me a second to get my stuff together.”

Ryan offered a wave to Joel as he dropped into Gavin’s chair and scooted it closer to Michael. The grumpy Omega looked like he was in the process of editing a Rage Quit. “Babe, I’m done with my editing,” Ryan murmured against Michael’s neck.

Michael grunted. “What do you want, a cookie?” he grouched.

Ryan blinked in surprise. “Yes.” Michael glanced at him.

“What?”

“You asked if I wanted a cookie. I’m answering you. I want a cookie. And I want my Mate. You promised me an entire weekend in bed, Darling.”

Michael turned enough to kiss his Alpha before turning back to his computer. “And if we’re going to do that, I want this to done and out of the way. So give me a little bit to finish this. While you do that, I hid a box of cookies for you on the game shelf. Bottom shelf.”

Ryan made a delighted sound and nipped lightly at Michael’s throat. “I love you,” he purred before going in search of the cookies.

“Aww,” Ray eased and Michael glared at him through his blush.

“Shut up. Have fun on your date.”

“Have fun with your sexcapades.”

“Totally will.”

Ray was still giggling when he climbed into Joel’s car. They decided on a little pizza place nearby. Ray decided he wanted to get to know Joel better, so they started a game of “I ask, you ask” and each were determined to answer the other in full. Mostly it was dumb little things like, dumbest pet, or favorite class in high school.

Some questions, though, were far more personal.

“Who did you lose your virginity to?” Ray asked shyly.

“Believe it or not, it was Burnie.”

That wasn’t the answer Ray expected, but in a way it made sense. “Oh. Really? How’d that happen?”

“Not your turn for a question. And actually, we need to get going. The place I have in mind should be closing soon. Besides, I’d rather tell you about it when Burnie’s there. He’s better at telling it than I am.”

“Fair enough. So are you planning on telling me where we’re going?”

“Nope.”

“You suck.”

“You can’t prove that.”

Ray could only blush as he followed Joel back to the car. He spent the next while sort of daydreaming about it while Joel took the opportunity to listen to some financial stuff on the radio. Ray only realized that they had reached their destination when Joel switched off the radio and pulled into a park space. The Omega looked around but didn’t recognize anything. “Where are we?”

“We’re…Uh, so I thought…” Joel struggled for words a bit more before he shrugged. “We can leave if you don’t want to go in, but I thought…it’s an adult toy store.”

“Oh, dude. Are you buying me toys?” Ray asked. He couldn’t decide if he was embarrassed or excited.

“If you want? I know you’re not ready for anything with me and Burnie, but I figured…it could help get you more comfortable or something.” His nervous ramblings were cut off when Ray scrambled for his seatbelt before practically falling out of the car.

“Hurry the fuck up. This is awesome. I’ve never been in one of these before.”

He tugged a laughing Joel into the shop and looked around like a kid in a candy store. It was cleaner and brighter than he had expected. His imagination had cooked up something much seedier. One half was dedicated to an impressive collection of dvds while the other half was toys, sexy clothing and things that delved into bondage and other things Ray would rather not think about.

“Pick anything you want,” Joel offered.

Ray was blushing, but he grabbed Joel’s hand and pulled him over to a wall covered in various toys. While he was looking over the selections with more and more reservations, an employee wandered over.

“Anything I can help you with?”

Joel didn’t like the way the strange Alpha was looking at Ray, but he forced himself to keep his cool. Instead, he bared his teeth in something resembling a smile. “We’re fine. Baby, you know what you want, yet?”

Ray hummed softly and tucked himself automatically into Joel’s side, eyes still on the toys. “I think so, but you have to pick the right ones, cause I want them to be as close to you and Burnie as possible.” He looked up at Joel with a mischievous grin. He giggled when Joel kissed him firmly.

“I can absolutely do that. Got to make sure you’re comfortable when it comes time for the first time we knot you.”

He was too focused on watching the strange Alpha scowl at them to notice the way Ray’s eyes lit with sudden understanding. By the time the employee scurried off after reluctantly offering to help them when they had made their selections, the look was gone and Ray was pointing to a row of different sized knotting dildos.

“These ones,” he said. “They’re supposed to be pretty realistic in terms of flexibility and give. Also, they supposedly simulate the length of the knotting time.”

Joel nodded and surprised Ray by quickly selecting two of the correct sizes. “These.” He handed them one at a time to Ray. “Me,” the first one was longer and thinner, “and Burnie.” This one wasn’t as long, but it had a girth that made Ray a little nervous.

“Cool.” He hid his nerves with a grin and nudged Joel toward the counter. “Let’s go pay. The sooner we get out of here, the less you’ll want to kill that dude for staring at my ass.”

Joel scowled. “I don’t like it when guys that aren’t me and Burnie look at you.”

Ray smiled softly up at Joel. “Well, they can look all they want, but I already know I belong to you and Burnie, so it doesn’t matter.”

It was always so damn hard to stay mad at unfamiliar Alphas when Ray said something so sweet. “Yeah, ok. Let’s pay and get out of here. If we hurry there’s an arcade nearby we can screw around in before heading back to Burnie’s.”

“I just realized I don’t have anything to wear to bed tonight.”

Joel grinned and nuzzled Ray’s neck as they waited in line. “I’m sure we can find something for you. Personally, I think you’d look incredibly hot in nothing, but I think we can dig out one of Burnie’s shirts.”

Ray nodded. “I like the idea of wearing something of yours. So maybe Burnie’s shirt and like, some of your pants or something?”

“Yeah, we can do that. I have some clothes at Burnie’s place. That can definitely be arranged.” They approached the counter and Joel smirked a little at the obvious jealousy the employee from before. He silently scanned the items and went on to test them. From the sound of it, he was very reluctant to explain what all the buttons did. Though he couldn’t resist offering to actually show Ray how to use them.

Before Joel could even release the growl he felt bubbling in his throat, he heard another. His surprised gaze landed on Ray and he took in the fierce anger on his usually sweet Omega. “I suggest you stick to doing your job instead of trying to pick up Omegas who are obviously happy right where they are. And I’m telling you right now if you so much as look at me again, I’ll rip your dick off, then give you to my Alphas to play with. And trust me when I say that they’re protective enough separately, but they’re even worse together. Now, are we done here?”

The Alpha nodded, head lowered submissively as he quickly put Ray’s new toys back in the boxes and put them in a bag. Ray snatched the bag up and stormed out of the store, Joel hot on his heels.

“Baby, that was unbelievably hot,” Joel breathed. He followed Ray back to the car and unlocked it. His angry little Omega threw himself into the car and stared hard at the nondescript bag in his lap. Before starting the car, Joel leaned over and gently cupped the back of Ray’s head. He watched as Ray immediately began to settle, soothed by his Alpha’s touch. “You were amazing in there.”

“I just hate when jerks like that look at me like I’m just a fucking piece of meat. I’ve been looked at like that before I even presented. It’s like, just because I’m an Omega, I’m just…there to be pretty and all I’m good for is to give an Alpha pleasure.”

“Ray…”

“It’s never been like that with you and Burnie. That’s why I first started noticing you guys. You never made me feel like an object.”

Joel pulled Ray into a sweet kiss. “Why don’t we head back to Burnie’s. You can text him and see when he’s coming home and we can make out until he gets back.”

Ray smiled against Joel’s lips. “Sounds good.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly not too happy with this chapter, but all things considered, it could be worse. I'm more excited about the next chapter, because I fully plan on some thorough Myan lovin' as well as some exploration with Joel, Burnie and Ray. (especially now that Ray has some new stuff to play with!) Already working on it, so expect it up within the next few days. As always, bless your darling hearts! <3


	10. Love Me Tender, Love Me Slow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ryan and Michael start their weekend off with a bang and realize that even after two years together, they can still learn something new.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhh....not much to say here....have some Myan smut! *throws it and hides*

Michael leaned into the kiss with a happy sigh. He loved with Ryan was like this. Especially sweet and gentle, like a wrong breath could shatter Michael where he stood. It was like their first time all over again. Where Ryan had almost been afraid to touch Michael. Fearful that every touch would be the one Michael rejected. That he would somehow make a false move that would result in Michael rejecting his court and sending him away.

“I love you,” he whispered against Ryan’s lips. His knees touched the mattress and Ryan tenderly lowered him onto their bed.

Ryan placed himself over Michael, supported over his Omega on his forearms. He ran his fingers through auburn curls and simply drank in the sight of his Mate spread out beneath him. “You’re so beautiful,” he breathed. “So damn beautiful, Darling. I can’t wait to watch our child grow inside you.”

“You’re the only one I’d get fat for,” Michael teased. “And you know this won’t be the only one, right?”

“Just how many are you looking to have?” Ryan pressed a kiss to each of Michael’s eyelids. “Because I could see us having our own little Pack.” Another kiss to his nose.

“Well, let’s face it. Any kid of ours will end up considering any other kid our Pack has as family.” He hummed softly when Ryan’s sweet kisses peppered on his mouth. “I mean, could you imagine if Gavin and Geoff had like, an Alpha and we had an Omega? We’d have to deal with watching our kids Mate, cause you know they would.”

“If you’re trying to talk me out of having children just because you don’t want to be in-laws with Plan-G, it’s not working. If it comes to that, we’ll deal. But I still want that Pack of ours.”

“Oh, I’m not trying to talk you out of it. I’m just pointing out a possible eventuality.”

“Well, I’m trying to be romantic and charming and sexy, so stop talking about other men and let me do my thing.”

Michael giggled. He tilted his chin up to try for another kiss but Ryan continued to scatter them around his face. “Then do your thing. I’m waiting to be bred, Alpha.”

Ryan growled low in his throat. In contrast, his movements remained slow and controlled. “You will be,” he promised. “I’m going to love you so well you’ll be pregnant by the time I knot you the first time. Then, after I feed you and give you some time to recover, I’ll do it all over again, just to be sure.”

Michael whined eagerly. He tried to reach for Ryan’s shirt but almost immediately found his hands pinned to the bed. “Ryan,” he whimpered as he tried to free his hands. Ryan trailed his kisses down Michael’s neck in response.

“Patience, Darling. You just lay there and be my good little Omega. Let me take care of you.”

“I wanna touch,” Michael complained.

“And you will, just not yet.”

He was in a mood, Michael realized. And unfortunately, when he was in a mood, it was easier to just let him do what he wanted or it would only delay his orgasm. More. Would delay his orgasm more, since it seemed like he wouldn’t be getting one for a while. Ryan hummed appreciatively when he felt Michael’s body relax under him. As if to test, he removed his hands from Michael’s and brought them to his waist. The omega obediently left his hands where they were.

“Good boy,” the Alpha whispered against Michael’s collarbone. He felt the happy noise his Mate made as he licked lightly over his throat and up to his pulse point. “My good boy.” It wasn’t often that Ryan acted so dominant, but when he did, it never failed to melt Michael’s entire being.

While Ryan’s lips trailed over his neck leaving little nips and kisses, his hands slowly ran up his sides, dragging the shirt as he went. Once his hands had a nice grip on Michael’s ribs, he gently eased the Omega up and gave a whispered instruction to lift his arms. Without even opening his eyes, Michael did as told and sighed happily when his shirt was eased up and off. It was tossed carelessly off into the oblivion of the rest of the room even as Michael was tenderly lowered once again. He again rested his hands next to his head without having to be asked and he was rewarded with a deep thorough kiss while Ryan’s hands became busy mapping out his chest.

He had been right before, he realized. It was like Ryan was trying to learn him all over again, pausing whenever he made a noise to revisit a particular spot. The only difference was that they had their bond, so Michael was able to feel every pulse of warmth and love and awe Ryan felt and it filled him until he was a whimpering mess. He would have felt pathetic since they were both still mostly dressed, but Ryan seemed to enjoy it.

For a while, he simply lost himself in the drag of lips and teeth and tongue, the almost ticklish sensation of questing fingers, and the unfiltered flow of Ryan’s feelings over their bond. It was impossible to say how long Ryan spent on his upper body. And he didn’t even realize just how hard he was until he felt Ryan’s fingers working his jeans opened at an agonizingly slow pace.

“Alpha,” he breathed. The pulse of Ryan’s want shot through him and he bucked involuntarily.

“Shh,” Ryan murmured against his stomach. “You’re doing so well. Just a little longer.”

Michael nodded automatically and just let the bond talk for him. Convenient, that since he had no idea how to speak at the moment. As if he knew, Ryan chuckled and tugged teasingly so Michael’s pants moved down an inch. Michael forgot entirely about keeping his hands down and a moment later, he had insanely soft hair gripped in one hand while the other grasped at the skin of Ryan’s shoulder. Confused, Michael opened hazy eyes finally to see that when he hadn’t been paying attention, Ryan had stripped completely. And if his brain had been melted before, the sight of his Alpha, bare and gorgeous and hard and his always did the trick. “When…? How the fuck…?”

Ryan smirked and tugged again at his jeans. “Do you even really care?”

“Fuck no. Why the hell am I not naked, too?”

“Because I’m still working on it. Patience.”

Michael managed a half a scowl before Ryan started mouthing him through his boxers and there went his brain again. He was so damn ready and if Ryan didn’t hurry up, he’d end up losing what little self-control he had left and just finishing in his boxers.

“For all you know, that could be my plan,” Ryan teased and Michael let out an embarrassingly loud moan when he actually felt the words against his dick. He didn't even care that he'd said that slightly humiliating bit out loud.

“Mother fucker,” he hissed. “You know what? I don’t fucking care anymore. Do it. Make me jizz in my pants like a fucking teenager. Please, Ryan. I just…damn it! Please! I need…”

“I know, Darling, I know.” In a startlingly abrupt movement, Michael’s boxers were gone along with his jeans and Ryan’s mouth was all around him and the second he realized that he was in Ryan’s throat, he was done. That’s all she wrote and he was screaming out his orgasm in the form of his Mate’s name.

Even as he was coming down, he felt the insistent prod of two fingers. Somehow he hadn’t even noticed just how wet he was until then.

“Jesus, look at you,” Ryan praised. He grasped the back of Michael’s thigh with his free hand and pushed it toward his chest to get a better look. “You’re soaking. You’re so ready for me.”

Michael attempted to lift his limp hands, but he was so worn from the surprising intensity of his orgasm that he could only move as far as Ryan shifting him. “Please,” he whimpered. Normally, he would have been embarrassed by the realization that his need for his Alpha had him nearly to the point of tears, but he didn’t give a damn after Ryan had already been so incredible so far.

Ryan hummed softly as he probed a little deeper, testing the give of Michael’s opening. To his fascination, Michael was already recovering. Somehow in the course of their two years together, they’d never experimented with that sort of thing. But his curiosity had taken hold and he pressed deeper, searching for the spot that would guarantee orgasm number two for his fiery Omega.

“More-oh, god!” Michael gasped out, body arching beautifully off the bed as Ryan unerringly found the ridiculously sensitive bundle of nerves. The first time he’d fingered Michael, Ryan had been merciless and was able to bring him to completion in a matter of minutes. With his nerves still firing all over his body, Michael was pushed brutally and immediately over the edge once again.

Pleased, Ryan withdrew his fingers and brought them to his own mouth. Michael’s eyes slowly slid open to the sight of his Alpha licking and sucking the slick from his fingers. Even that was overstimulating and Michael felt himself twitch miraculously. He felt Ryan’s joy and need flood him and between that and his current exhaustion, it took a lot longer than it should have to find himself hovering over Ryan. “Wha?”

Ryan chuckled and leaned back more comfortably against the headboard. He knew just how tired his Omega was, but this was their favorite position because it allowed them to get just that much closer. Somehow, Michael mustered the energy to drape himself over Ryan, nuzzling sweetly into his throat as strong hands helped lower his hips. Once he was fully inside Michael, he curled the fingers of one hand through Michael’s hair and tilted his head for a kiss.

Michael sighed against his lips and gave a slow roll of his hips. By this point, Michael was so sensitive and Ryan was so ready for his Mate that they knew it wouldn’t take long for either of them. With that in mind, Ryan started rolling his hips along with Michael’s movements and they immediately fell into a familiar rhythm. It wasn’t really all that surprising when Ryan’ almost immediately felt his knot start to swell. Michael whined appreciatively and thrust his hips down a little harder, eager for his Mate’s knot. He gasped softly and his head fell back as he felt that familiar, always incredible stretch and as Ryan shot the first of many loads deep inside, he came yet again without ever being touched.

For the next while, he simply sprawled boneless against his Mate, shivering at the occasional twitch he felt inside. While his body and mind settled into the incredible connection, his heart started racing. He had officially been off his pills long enough for his system to be clear. Amazed, he lifted his head and stared into those impossibly blue eyes, which looked just as thrilled as he felt. “Ryan,” he breathed.

“I know, Darling.” One large hand spread out over his stomach and they both imagined it swelling in the coming months. “And I promise as soon as enough time has passed, we’ll make sure you are.”

“Doctor, right? None of that home testing shit? Cause you can’t be sure with those.”

“Right.” Ryan hissed a little as he felt his knot finally go down enough to slip out of his Mate. “Fuck, that was a long one.”

Michael felt like a ragdoll as Ryan rearranged him so he was laying down properly. “Mmm, just your body making sure you breed me good and deep,” he slurred. He’d never felt so worn after sex before and he decided it was something he could absolutely get used to, so long as Ryan didn’t drag it out so fucking long every time.

He woke up again to the incredible smell of food. As if on cue, Ryan pushed his way into the room with ridiculously full tray of food. He seemed surprised that Michael was slowly sitting up.

“Oh, hey. You’re awake. I was afraid I broke you.”

Michael grumbled, then flushed when his stomach made a far more impressive noise as Ryan settled the tray over his lap. “How long was I out?”

“Couple hours. Thought you might wake up hungry, so I made a bunch of your favorites.”

For a moment, Michael ignored the food in favor of pulling Ryan into a deep kiss. “You’re the best Alpha ever,” he praised and giggled when Ryan perked up like a puppy. “You take such good care of me.”

“And just think. It’s only a few hours into the weekend,” Ryan pointed out. “Just imagine how many more times I can take care of you.”

To be fair, it was perfectly understandable that Michael’s brain went to mush. Probably not so fair that he threw a piece of jam covered toast at Ryan as his Mate laughed.

“Asshole.”

“I love you, too.”

It was going to be a long weekend. A long, exhausting, incredible weekend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like it? Love it? Hate it? Let me know! I can't improve without criticism. ^_^ (Also, I pretty much live for your comments by this point.) This chapter was for CatastropheCat, because I cannot be responsible for tears! If you cry, I'll cry, no joke. I hope this can begin to satisfy your need for some Myan breeding, my love. ^_^ There will absolutely be more where that came from. Next chapter: some lovely OT3 action in which Ray may or may not try out one of his new toys. Keep an eye out for that. I hope to have it up by the end of the week, technology permitting. (my laptop sucks) As always, send your comments, prompts, love, baked goods my way! Until next time, bless your darling hearts! <3


	11. Just the Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ray discovers a lot about himself sexually and Joel and Burnie are basically just along for the ride.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I was super eager to get this posted, it is entirely unedited, so I apologize for any mistakes. This has been floating around in my head for a while, so I really hope you enjoy it!

Burnie stepped into his house, closed the door and took two steps before he ground to a halt. His entire house smelled of warm chocolate orange and furious camp fire. They mixed and filled his senses until everything around him became muted except that scent and the knowledge that his Mates were somewhere in his house playing out a game of lust. One he wanted to join.

The hunt began in the living room, which showed fairly recent activity. Two controllers were abandoned on the coffee table along with various bags of junk food and half empty coke cans. The scent was still prevalent but it was fading. Burnie figured they had been playing something before they’d gotten distracted by each other.

With the starting point, Burnie followed it down a short hall and up the stairs. There was a moment of confusion when the Omega scent broke off from the mixture and disappeared into the bathroom. Curious, Burnie peeked in and grinned when he saw what was drying on the counter. That would certainly come in handy later, he decided before returning to the task of finding his Mates. From the direction, he thought he knew where he would find them. And he was right.

For a moment, he stood froze in the doorway. The sight was easily one of the most beautiful he’d ever seen. Right up there with watching Joel come undone under his hands, or seeing the cautious enthusiasm of Ray that afternoon, perched on his lap and eager for him to do something, anything to make him feel just that much better.

Now that he’d found the pair, he leaned against the doorframe and just took in the show. Ray was on his back with Joel over him. Both hands were buried deep in Joel’s already messy hair, keeping him close. From the content noises leaving Joel, he didn’t seem to mind one bit. For his part, Joel supported himself above the Omega with one arm while the other hand did a little exploring across the smooth expanse of skin that was exposed to them for the first time. Their legs were tangled and Burnie’s throat tightened with need when he saw their hips moving in a slow, steady rhythm that Burnie recognized from when Joel was feeling particularly teasing.

A well timed thrust with a simultaneous pinch of one of Ray’s nipples tore a needy sound from the Omega’s throat, only slightly muffled by Joel’s lips. Ray made such pretty noises, Burnie decided. High and soft, strangled, yet unrestrained. Coupled with Joel’s responsive growls and Burnie knew they would be the death of him. Wanting, needing to knot both of his Mates would leave him constantly exhausted, not to mention his desire to be knotted by his fellow Alpha.

When Joel finally released Ray’s mouth, it was with a wet sound, plenty of tongue for Burnie to admire and a disapproving whine from Ray. He opened bleary eyes and stared up at Joel for a moment. Then he turned his head and unerringly found Burnie.

“You started without me,” Burnie teased.

“And you got to play this afternoon,” Joel shot back. He worked his way down Ray’s neck and pressed a firm kiss to the skin over Ray’s heart. “Got to even the playing field a little, Burns.” Burnie watched in fascination as Joel immediately sucked the skin into his mouth and made short work of leaving a mark. Joel pulled back to admire his work before he turned to Burnie and gestured him over. “So you gonna join us or what?”

Burnie was actually torn. On one hand, he wanted to just work his way into that tangle of limbs so tightly that none of them would ever escape. On the other, they looked damn pretty together sprawled out over his bed.

It took a moment, but the side wanting to join won out and he kicked off his shoes before crossing to the bed. “You two are absolutely gorgeous. I walked into the house and I could smell what you were up to. So fucking amazing and all mine.” He nudged Joel over a little before dropping onto the bed.

Immediately, Ray grasped his hair and pulled him down into a kiss that was just as desperate as that afternoon. Only this time, there was a lingering taste of Joel on his tongue and it nearly fried Burnie’s brain completely.

Almost as soon as it began, Ray was pushing him away and he kept a firm, bracing hand on both Alpha’s chests. “So I sort of have an idea of how I want tonight to go.”

Burnie and Joel shared a glance, then grinned and listened attentively to their Omega.

“I want to watch one of you knot the other, I don’t particularly care who tops.”

Joel expressed his approval of that with a happy noise and scattered kisses over both their faces.

“And just what will you be doing in the meantime?” Burnie asked. He thought he had an idea of what and the blush only confirmed it for him.

“Well.” Ray paused. “I mean, Joel bought me some new toys and I thought…I kind of want to try one of them and…”

“I figured as much when I saw that you’d cleaned them,” Burnie said. “And, uh, based on the sizes…”

Joel chuckled against Ray’s shoulder. “Ray picked the kind he wanted, I supplied sizes since he was very specific about wanting one as close to each of us as possible.”

“We might have to order something online. Get some a little more accurate then generic store bought.”

Ray’s blush deepened if at all possible. “I just want to be prepared for…for when we’re ready, you know?”

“I know, Sweetheart,” Burnie soothed. “I think I speak for both of us when I say that it’s more than ok.”

“Fucking hot,” Joel added. “Knowing you’ll be stretching yourself open, pretending it’s really us.”

Burnie sat up, dragging Joel with him. “Go get the one you want to use tonight and we’ll get ready in here.”

Even as Ray scrambled for the bathroom, Joel was already digging through the bedside stand for the bottle of artificial slick they used. “You want to lead?” he asked. He turned to find Burnie working on his jeans and followed his example.

“Yeah. I’m in that sort of mood.”

Joel hummed happily and pressed himself against Burnie as soon as they were both down to their boxers. “I can tell. Watching us play got you hot, huh?”

“You have no idea.” The words were growled against Joel’s skin as Burnie hauled him up the bed a little further. “You gonna show Ray how pretty you can be when you’re falling apart?”

Joel whined softly and tilted his head back in a wordless plea for Burnie to do something. Burnie only paused for a moment to admire the image before he leaned down and started sucking a dark mark over Joel’s pulse point. Once he decided it was dark enough, he pulled back to study his work. In that moment, he decided he absolutely needed to make sure that at some point, Ray had a matching one, because he loved the idea of his Mates bearing his mark in tandem.

“Oh, holy shit.” The Alphas turned to see Ray standing in the doorway clutching the thinner of the toys.

Joel moaned at the phantom touch of Ray’s hands on him. He forced himself past the lust long enough to study Ray’s wide eyes and parted lips. “Are you sure you’re ok with this, Baby?”

Ray nodded frantically. “Yeah. I just…I’ve never used a toy before and I’ve never…you know, done anything like this so…I’m just nervous, I guess.”

“We, uh. We should probably start doing something, though,” Burnie pointed out. “I mean, you can stop this any time you want. If it’s too much, that’s ok.”

Ray frowned. “I know.”

“I’m just saying this is a lot for all of us, and I don’t know about you guys, but I’m fucking close already. We should probably get this show on the road.”

Ray snorted, but shimmied out of his shorts. He glanced around, trying to decide where he wanted to be to watch. Finally, he shrugged and flopped down on the bed. “VIP seat,” he said cheekily. “So you gonna get to work on him, or…?”

It was Burnie’s turn to snort and he took the bottle of slick Ray handed him. A gentle nudge was all it took to get Joel to turn over and he slid the pillow Ray handed him under Joel’s hips. Without warning, he tugged Joel’s boxers down, eyes on Ray as he took in Joel’s naked form for the first time. He seemed a little disappointed that he couldn’t see Joel’s front.

“Don’t worry,” Burnie assured him. “I’ll flip him when he’s prepped. But unlike you, he needs to be stretched and slicked up first. It’s easier this way.”

Ray offered a hesitant nod. He watched in fascination as Burnie slicked up one hand and brought it down to Joel’s entrance. Burnie watched Ray’s reaction as he slowly worked one finger in.

“Oh, my God,” Ray breathed. He reached down subconsciously and started palming himself through the fabric of his underwear.

Joel whined impatiently and tried to take more than Burnie was giving him. “Damn it, Burns, hurry the fuck up. I’m not gonna break.”

Burnie gave a light, warning slap to one cheek. “But it’s been longer between since we’ve ever gone, so I’m gonna take my time and make sure you’re properly prepped. The more you complain, the longer I’ll take, I promise you that.”

Annoyed, Joel stopped squirming against the tight grip on his hip. “Bastard.”

“You love it.”

While they were distracted with each other, Ray had tugged his boxers down a little and when Joel looked over, he was treated with the sight of Ray slowly stroking himself. As if in a trance, he reached out and grasped the boxers lightly. “Can I?” he asked.

Ray hesitated, then nodded slowly and allowed Joel to pull them the rest of the way down and off. He blushed heavily when he realized that both Alphas were drinking in the sight of him. One warm hand gently touched his knee, nudging lightly. There was another beat of hesitation before Ray spread his legs a little, allowing his lovers to see everything.

“You’re so wet,” Joel breathed. His hand gripped Ray’s calf as he rested his cheek against the inside of the Omega’s knee. He closed his eyes and inhaled that intoxicating scent right from the source. “God, Baby, you smell delicious.”

Ray moaned softly at the feel of Joel’s stubble against the tender skin of his leg. Without thought he brought his hand down lower and teased around his rim, gathering up his slick. Then he offered his hand and watched in amazement as Joel greedily licked his fingers clean. Ray couldn’t decide if the whimper Joel let out was because Burnie had added a second finger, or because of Ray’s own taste. It didn’t occur until he was offering a re-slicked hand to Burnie that they easily could have thought his actions were strange. They clearly didn’t, if the incoherent babbling coming from Joel and the eager way Burnie sucked on his fingers was anything to go by, but it could have easily been one of those false moves he was so afraid of.

Between Burnie working him open and the hopelessly sexy creature Ray was, Joel was a complete mess, writhing and making desperate noises. As Burnie worked a third finger in, Joel watched hungrily as Ray finally slid a finger into his own hole.

“God, Baby you’re so sexy,” Joel breathed. He was a little afraid that his grip on Ray’s leg would leave bruises, but at that point, he couldn’t make himself let go. Not that Ray seemed to mind. It was clear from the way Ray quickly worked up to three fingers that he was no stranger to fingering himself.

“So fucking hot,” Burnie gasped. Greedy eyes took in the sight of both his lover’s stretched holes. “God damn. You ready, Joel?” Without waiting for a response, he roughly pulled the pillow out from under Joel’s hips and quickly flipped the lanky man onto his back.

Joel gave a startled shout at the sudden movement. “Hey, I can’t see-“

Burnie cut him off with a fierce kiss and both groaned when they realized they could taste Ray on the other’s lips. He pulled back and roughly shifted them so they were both afforded a nice view of their Omega. “You ready, Ray?”

Ray picked up the toy with a shaky hand. He pulled his fingers from his own hole and sat up. “Yeah,” he breathed, watching as Burnie finally shucked his boxers. After a moment of thought, he reached down and gathered as much slick as possible. Then he did something that caused all three of their brains to melt a little. He reached forward and used his slick to prep Burnie.

“Holy fuck,” Burnie growled. “Oh, Jesus Christ, that’s the hottest fucking thing I’ve ever seen.” He shuddered at Ray’s hesitant touch, eyes locked on the hand slicking him up. “Holy shit, get your fucking toy ready, this is happening right goddamn now.”

He waited until Ray had the toy positioned at his opening, then at some unspoken cue, Burnie pressed into Joel as Ray started working the toy into himself. “Shit,” Ray hissed.

Joel’s hand covered his, slowing the movement. “Breathe,” he instructed. He grunted softly as Burnie slid a little deeper. “Take your time. Follow Burnie.”

“Shit, Joel. You’re still so fucking tight.”

Joel nodded. “Been a while.”

They all fell silent aside from soft hisses and muted groans until at last Burnie was buried to the hilt and both Alphas watched eagerly as the last of the toy slid inside Ray.

“How you feeling, Sweetheart?” Burnie asked. He managed to tear his eyes away from where the base of the toy disappeared into Ray, but he did it and looked up to see Ray’s face contorted with a mixture of pleasure and caution.

“Full? Kind of…kind of sore.”

“Keep breathing. Let me know when you’re ready.”

Ray nodded and gradually, the faint traces of pain faded. “I think I’m good.” He slowly slid the toy out about half way before pushing it back in. No pain. He smiled at his Alphas. “Yeah, I’m good.” The toy was moving again and he blinked in surprise before he realized that Joel’s hand was still over his.

It was a slightly awkward angle, but Joel managed to get a good grip on the toy. “Is this ok?”

“Yeah.” Ray gasped sharply when Joel pushed it in a little harder than before. “Fuck, yeah.”

Burnie snapped out of his daze and started moving inside Joel. Almost immediately, he noticed that Joel timed the movements of the toy with Burnie’s thrusts. Ray quickly abandoned the toy and left it to Joel while started stroking himself, doing his best to keep in time with the others.

Very quickly, they devolved into gasps and groans, lost in the sound and feel of one another. When Joel felt Burnie’s knot begin to swell, he fumbled for the switch on Ray’s toy which would cause the same thing to happen inside their Omega.

Ray gave a surprised moan and his Alphas watched as he almost immediately came at the sensation. Joel’s hand stilled when just the sight of Ray shivering with pleasure set him off and he followed.

Burnie almost collapsed when Joel clamped down on him only seconds after Ray came, Joel’s release coating both their stomachs. Burnie hadn’t even touched him. Satisfied that both his Mates had reached their climax, Burnie allowed himself to tumble over the edge after them. The intensity left him breathless and his vision a little fuzzy around the edges.

“Holy fuck we’re doing that again,” Ray panted softly. He shifted his hips and sighted in contentment. It took a little maneuvering since his knot had him trapped inside Joel, but Burnie managed to tug Ray closer. Before the Omega could question him, he started licking the mess on his stomach up. Joel groaned at the sight.

He grinned when he realized just how close Burnie had pulled Ray. A little gleeful, Joel hiked up Ray’s leg and did a little cleanup of his own. Ray was so shocked by the dual sensation of Burnie’s mouth-which was now on his dick- and Joel’s tongue catching the slick that seeped around his rim that he came again with a shout. Joel happily continued to tongue around where the rim of Ray’s ass fit snugly around the toy and Burnie swallowed Ray’s second release directly from the source.

Oversensitive from the dual assault, Ray weakly pushed at them. Disappointed, they complied, though neither could help running their hands over whatever skin they could reach.

Conscious of the toy still inside him, Ray squirmed down so he was pressed against Joel’s side and Joel tugged Burnie down to blanket them both.

“You two are the most incredible Alphas ever,” Ray slurred. “I can’t believe that didn’t weird you out.”

“What didn’t?” Burnie asked. He took the opportunity to suck that matching mark into Ray’s skin.

“Me practically feeding you my slick. Or like…using my slick to prep you.”

“Why the fuck would that be weird? It was fucking hot as hell,” Joel growled.

“And you taste just as amazing as you smell,” Burnie added.

Ray blushed and hid his face in Joel’s shoulder. “Um…ok.”

“And now that we know you like that,” Joel mused, “I think we’ll be figuring out creative ways to use your slick from here on out.”

That adorable shotgun laugh of Ray’s sent them all into laughter. They were still chuckling and teasing each other a few minutes later when Burnie’s knot finally eased. In a spectacular feat of timing, the toy deflated at the same time. While Burnie went in search of something to clean them up with, Joel helped Ray ease the toy out of him. He kissed Ray’s brow lightly at the slightly wince.

“You ok?”

“Yeah. Just a little achy. Never had something in there before. I mean, aside from my fingers.”

Burnie reappeared and passed around damp towels. While his lovers cleaned each other, he dug through his dresser in search of clothes. Now that his lust had been sated, he realized just how hungry he was. He pulled on a pair of sweatpants and an old shirt of Joel’s that he’d stolen in college. Joel ended up dressed similarly, only he was draped in one of Burnie’s older shirts. It had a few holes that teased with brief flashes of pale skin.

But Ray. That was the kicker that made him almost forget about food. The Omega had slipped his boxers back on along with one of Burnie’s favorite shirts. Somehow, he knew he’d never end up wearing that shirt again, because it looked amazing on his little lover.

“I want pizza,” Ray said. He curled his arms around Burnie’s waist and buried his face in the Alpha’s chest. Joel immediately molded to his back and Ray smiled at the way they both just curled so perfectly around him, surrounding him in a wonderfully warm cocoon. It was better than any Heat nest he’d ever bundled into.

“I’ll order it,” Joel offered. “You two go pick out a movie and I’ll call and order dinner.”

By the time the pizza arrived, they’d created a nest out of the mess of bedding from their earlier activities, plus a few more blankets Burnie had hunted down. They ate in bed, only half watching the movie. None of them could really be bothered to watch it when they could explore the new intimacy they’d brought into their relationship. An empty pizza box later, they were snuggled together, lazily making out.

“So,” Ray started, mouthing sweetly at a particularly strong scent gland on Joel’s neck. “I still have that other toy to try out.”

Burnie fell off the bed in his haste to get it, his lover’s laughter following him from the room. They really were going to be the death of him. But what a sweet death it would be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a lot of fun with this one. I'm enjoying Ray's slow growth in confidence and I love being able to have Joel and Burnie help him with it. ^_^ On a side note, I'm looking for a beta, so....any volunteers?? As always, I live for your comments, encouragement, kudos, love and stuff (ha!). Until next time, bless your darling hearts! <3


	12. Of Chairs and Cherries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the lads bond more and prep for a barbecue is done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Considering how freaking delayed this was I'll save the groveling for after. Enjoy!

It was really no surprise when the other Lads teased Ray about the rather large mark just under his jaw. And when Joel appeared to steal him for lunch and the others saw the matching mark, the teasing intensified. 

When Michael and Gavin finally got Ray to themselves a little later in the day, he felt like a cornered animal.

"What?" he asked defensively. 

"You totally did the do with them!" Michael burst out with a huge grin.

"What are you, ten? We had sex, yeah. Kind of. I mean, there was knotting, just...you know, not my ass. Or not really anyway."

Gavin sputtered for a moment, struggling for a way to get his question out.

Michael beat him to it. "That doesn't make any fucking sense. How can you not really be knotted?"

"I mean, first round-"

"First round?" Gavin squawked with a grin.

Ray glared at him but continued. "First round Burnie knotted Joel while Joel sort of fucked me with a toy that's roughly his size. Second round, it was all switched around with Joel doing the knotting while Burnie fucked me with the toy meant to be his size. I don't want to knot with them yet because I'm afraid that if I go with one first then try the other, the bond won't form with whoever goes second. That thought kills me. So I have this idea that I'm gonna work my way up to."

Michael narrowed his eyes at Ray. "What's this idea of yours?"

"Um...I mean, I figured if I uh...take both at once? It might work?"

Gavin's eyes were impossibly huge at the mere suggestion. "Is that even possible?" he asked in awe.

Ray shrugged, focused determinedly on his computer. "Fuck if I know, but I have to try, you know?"

It was Michael who asked the sensible question. "Have you talked to Burnie and Joel about this?"

"Not yet, but...I mean, I'm gonna practice with my toys first. Get an idea if it's even possible. They'd try to talk me out of it and I'm going to do this. I refuse to accept one without the other. I've tried looking around the internet to see if anyone else has done anything like this before, but..."

The last thing he expected was to be sandwiched in a hug. "I think you should talk to them soon, but it's your call," Michael said softly. "Just don't wait too long, cause they're perceptive as hell, especially when it comes to you, so they'll know you're keeping something from them."

Ray sighed and squirmed around so he could bury his face in Michael's neck. Gavin crawled up onto the chair with them and burrowed in so his cheek was sort of squished up against Michael's on Ray’s shoulder. Ray’s voice was hardly a above a whisper.  
"They already kind of know something's up. They keep giving me that damn look and I feel like shit for keeping things from them, but...I don't know. My Heat's coming up in the next couple of weeks and I think I'll wait until after that to talk to them." 

"You could always ease them into the idea," Gavin suggested. He had a mischievous look on his face. "I mean, your Heat and all. You could see if you can get them to fuck you with both toys at once and gauge their reactions. Could blame it on the Heat if they hate the idea, which I doubt they will. I imagine it'll get them proper riled up."

"You really think so?"

"Yeah." Gavin shrugged and giggled against Ray’s shoulder. "I try out loads of new things on Geoff during my Heats."

Michael snickered. "He's not wrong. And they always just seem to go with it. If it’s something they like they'll generally try to be all sly when they bring up trying it again. At least, that's what Ryan does."

The door opened then and the Gents wandered in. Geoff caught sight of the Lads somehow squished into Ray’s chair and rolled his eyes. "If you three idiots break that thing because you can't cuddle in a normal fucking place, I'm not buying a replacement."

"Nah," Gavin drawled. "Burnie'd probably buy him a better one anyway."

"Hey, I like this chair." Ray promptly shoved Gavin off and snuggled closer to Michael who laughed hysterically at Gavin's squawk and flail.

"Much better." Michael decided through his giggles.

Gavin pouted and slunk over to curl up in Geoff's lap. "They're being mean to me." he grumbled to his Mate. 

Geoff pulled Gavin into a kiss that was far more appropriate for a private setting. Once Gavin had properly melted into his lap, he pulled away and trailed kisses over his Omega’s jaw. "Yeah, but don't you like it better here anyway?"

All Gavin could manage was a happy hum as he snuggled closer and tugged lightly at Geoff's hair, intent on bringing him back for another kiss.

All in all, basically part for the course in their office. Only this time, Ray was too distracted by both his plotting and Gavin and Michael's advice to really join in on the banter too much for the rest of the day.

Ray ended up spending the rest of the week with Joel and Burnie. He wasn't complaining, because he loved spending as much time as possible with his Alphas, but with them constantly around and very happily involved in his rapidly developing sex life, he couldn’t find the time to try out his idea. He was actually starting to consider Gavin's suggestion.

But first he had to get through the barbecue at Burnie’s that weekend. Then his Heat was due to hit the following week. At least, it was if his constant craving for cherries was anything to go by. Between his Alphas, Ray constantly had a bowl full of them nearby.

When Saturday finally arrived Ray shuffled into the kitchen in his boxers and one of Joel’s hoodies. Burnie was already busy prepping for when their guests would arrive that afternoon. 

Joel was the first to notice the still sleepy Omega. After a moment to admire the sight of Ray in his clothing, knowing that he would smell of Joel, he hopped up from where Burnie had him chopping up veggies and scooped Ray up into a kiss. "Morning, Sunshine." He wasn't wrong about the scent.

Ray’s response was distorted around the huge yawn he let out. But he gave Joel a sweet smile before shuffling over to Burnie for another good morning kiss. "How long until everyone starts getting here?" Ray asked. He eyed the impressive spread with interest, though he was most pleased with the huge bowl of cherries near Joel. 

"Couple hours," Burnie answered. He grinned as he watched his Omega dig into the cherries with enthusiasm. "You've got time to shower and get dressed, then I'm gonna put you to work with Joel."

"Kay." Ray took a handful of cherries with him, giggling when Burnie scolded Joel for trying to sneak off and join him in the shower.

"God damnit, Joel! Get back to work!"

"But think about it," Joel whined. "Our sweet, gorgeous little Omega in there all alone. All wet and slippery and so, so pretty."

A brief pause then, "I fucking hate you sometimes, get back to chopping."

Ray laughed happily. It was like listening to Church and Caboose, and that's what had drawn his interest to them in the first place, long before he'd met either of them. Even after New York with his inability to even be near unfamiliar Alphas, he had been comforted by the mere sound of their voices. It was what had brought him to start in the community, then eventually to his ultimatum to Geoff. 

While he washed the sleep and evidence of their activities the night before from his still sleepy body, he tried to imagine what his life would be like if he hadn't found that stupid, brilliant Web series. He very quickly stopped thinking about it because the mere thought of not having Burnie and Joel in his life was physically painful. And it didn't even matter, since he did have them. He intended to have them for the rest of his life. No matter what, they were his.

He hurried through his shower, quietly delighted by the fact that he was using Burnie’s shampoo yet again and would therefore smell like him for the rest of the day. That's not to say he wouldn't spend every spare moment scenting up on his insanely sexy Alphas, but this way he got to start the day off with Burnie’s scent on him and Joel’s scent around him since he insisted on continuing to wear Joel’s hoodie.

True to his word, Burnie handed him a peeler and sat him on a stool next to Joel with a sack of potatoes. He spared a moment to kiss Ray again because it absolutely never got old before he returned to his own task.

For the next while they worked together with an ease that might seem a bit unusual for the fact that their relationship was still so new. None of them could resist sneaking in touches or kisses whenever one of their lovers got close enough for it. Ray was utterly content. Though, Michael and Gavin's advice was constantly in the back of his mind.

Looking at the two men he loved more than he had ever thought possible, he had no doubt in his mind that everything would work out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So at this point I feel like the worst person ever. My laptop is officially screwed and it took an embarrassing amount of time to figure out how to deal with this on my tablet. Now that I have we will hopefully be back to our regularly scheduled (does that exist with me?!) updates. Huge shout out and endless thanks to my wonderful beta Jewelflower. Next chapter is already written and currently being edited so expect it in the next few days with the following one not long after. As always I sincerely hope you enjoyed this and I hope to hear some helpful feedback. Until next time, bless your darling hearts! <3


	13. Barbecue Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ryan thinks a lot and Burnie has an Alpha moment. (And the author shoehorns in her new obsession by way of a possible new couple)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not actually story related, but I made Emono blush! Flatter a writing hero: checked off the bucket list! In other news, have a chapter.

Ryan felt the constant buzz of excitement and nerves from his Mate throughout the evening. It mixed with his own to the point where he wasn't even sure whose feelings were pressing on his mind at any given moment. He did his best to push it aside and enjoy the party, though. 

Ray looked like he was having the time of his life. For the first time any of the group had ever seen, the usually reclusive Omega could be found flitting from group to group, replacing empty drinks, offering various nibbles - which had apparently been made by his own hands - and just generally losing himself in the social atmosphere. 

Finding his Alphas had done wonders for the boy. And if the sappy, longing looks Burnie and Joel constantly centered on their Omega were anything to go by, they benefited just as much from the courting.

Ray deserved every bit of happiness he could find with the two who would soon be his official Mates. The nervous, skittish creature Ray had been the first time he'd set foot in the office was a thing of the past. If Ryan hadn't fallen so deeply and desperately in love with Michael, he might have been tempted by the Ray before him now. 

At the thought of his own Mate, Ryan turned to see Michael giggling with Gavin about something. Whatever it was prompted a powerful surge of love and affection to break through the constant nerves in their bond and Ryan grinned. His Omega had such a huge heart. It was a constant source of pride to know that Michael loved him as much as he did and still had room in his heart for others. 

He cast one last look over at Michael before refocusing on the elaborate story Miles was weaving. It only took a moment to realize that he’d been so distracted that he couldn’t make sense of it. So he zoned out again and looked around Burnie’s backyard.

It always made him happy to see all of his closest friends gathered together just having fun. Most of the faces were familiar, mostly thanks to his Mate's social nature. But there was the odd face here and there that he could only vaguely recall. It wasn't too surprising considering how much the company continued to grow. As a company, everyone was much more careful about who they hired so he was fairly comfortable with those who attended. 

Though of all the new employees, Matt and Jeremy were his favorites. They were still working to find their places within the pack, but Ryan had every confidence that they would. Geoff never would have hired them if he didn't think they belonged.

At the thought of the two, Ryan looked around and found them - unsurprisingly - together. At the moment, Matt was sprawled on the grass with a purring Joe the Cat perched happily on his chest. Jeremy stood above them grinning like a loon.

As far as he knew, neither was attached to anyone. They were both young, yet. And if Ryan was seeing things correctly, the smile on the young Alpha's face as he watched his lanky Omega friend play with the cat was a bit too tender to be simple friendship. They were an odd pair, Ryan mused. Jeremy was short and compact where Matt was tall and lanky, but in a way he could see them fitting together quite well.

While Ryan watched, Jeremy knelt down and started scratching behind Joe's ear. Apparently, Joe started purring which caused Matt to giggle and Jeremy's face lit up at the sound. Yeah, that was definitely a possible pair of Mates in the making. He made a mental note to have a quiet talk with Jeremy about courting and proper respect for Omegas before he turned away to give them privacy. 

Again his eyes fell on Ray. The youngest of his pack had a handful of cherries that he was slowly working his way through, savoring every bite as he wandered around the yard. For the moment he seemed content to indulge his pre-Heat craving while he observed the gathered partiers.

Every few moments, Ray would glance at either Burnie or Joel and his expression would soften. It did wonderful things to see the Omega so happy and content and in love. He hoped with everything he had that everything worked out for the three. Michael had confided in him about Ray’s concerns and while he was worried that Ray’s plan might fail, he wanted it to work so very badly. For all their sakes. 

Then one of the unfamiliar Alphas approached Ray and every protective instinct Ryan had flared to life. He felt the spark of Michael's concern nudge at his mind, but he ignored it and focused on Ray. He didn't like the way Ray seemed to slowly wilt under the young Alpha's gaze. 

It wasn't like the Alpha was a bad kid or anything, but he was young and brash and headstrong. New to his status still and newer to the company. He didn't know Ray’s story, didn't know what it had taken for him to find, accept and love his Alphas. All he saw was a young, sweet Omega, un-Mated and so very close to his Heat. 

Before Ryan could take a single step towards Ray, Burnie was there, arm sliding around Ray’s waist in a way that screamed familiarity. There was no mistaking the possessive and protective stance but the young Alpha didn't back off. Quiet filled the yard in a strange ripple that started from Ray’s whimper. 

"Can I help you?" Burnie asked. His tone was a little too pleasant. 

"No, we're doing fine, thanks." Confidence was one thing, but this kid was going to get himself killed. He was ignoring every sign the older Alpha was throwing out.

"Doesn't look that way to me, kid."

The young Alpha growled a little and Burnie immediately shoved Ray behind him. It was an automatic protective gesture and Burnie seemed not to have realized he did it. Joel was at his side in an instant, a growl of his own bubbling in his throat. 

And while the dual threat of experienced Alphas seemed to shake the younger up a bit, he stood his ground. "I'm not a kid," he protested casually. 

"Look, I'm gonna give you one chance to walk away before you do something stupid. I get that not everyone is taught the same shit when it comes to approaching another guy's Mate, but where I come from, you don't challenge another Alpha without a damn good reason."

The young Alpha snorted and puffed out his chest a bit. He was so overconfident that he missed the way Joel’s jaw clenched and Burnie’s hands curled into tight fists. "I'm not challenging anyone. He's not claimed. What's the big deal? I just thought we could have some fun and he'd get a proper Alpha to ease him through his Heat. And hey, if I like him enough afterwards, I might even consider knotting him. Be nice to have a sweet little thing like him around."

The words were barely out of his mouth when Burnie tackled the idiot to the ground. To his credit, the younger fought back surprisingly well if a little dirty. He managed to get a few good sucker punches in, left an impressive set of scratches down Burnie’s neck and a few bite marks on his arm. But with every snarl Burnie gave, a little of the fight went out of him. It wasn't until Burnie had him pinned with his hands wrapped tightly around his throat that he understood just how big a mistake he'd made. 

It took a lot to make an Alpha as composed as Burnie normally was snap. But with his Omega’s honor on the line he had plunged head first into that animalistic rage. His teeth were bared in a snarl and his eyes were wild and dark with blood lust. He was so far gone he didn't notice the way the offending Alpha clawed desperately at his hands, what little air he could get wheezing in and out of him painfully. 

"Burnie!" Distantly he felt someone tugging at his hands, trying to get him to release the other’s throat. 

"Burnie!" But it was the soft hands on his face that slowly pulled him back from the edge. 

"Alpha!" Slowly, he regained control of himself and allowed Joel to pull his hands from the throat they were clamped on. Sluggishly he followed the persistent tugging of Ray’s hands and when he saw the tears streaming down Ray’s face his vision snapped instantly back into focus. 

To the side, he heard the young Alpha gasping for air, and he thought he heard Joel moving around, but his focus was on Ray. For his part, the Omega only glanced over to where Joel kept the still gasping Alpha pinned before he locked eyes with Burnie. 

"Are you back with me?" he asked softly. 

Burnie frowned. He trailed his hands lightly down Ray’s sides before settling on his hips. "I never left."

Ray offered a wobbly smile that died quickly as more tears welled up. "But you did. For a minute there. I thought you were going to kill him, Burnie."

He had the grace to look a little guilty and glanced over at the terrified young Alpha. "I think I almost did. If it wasn't for you and Joel..."

"Hey," Ray murmured soothingly. He pulled Burnie in so the Alpha's face was buried in his chest, taking comfort from the combined scent of his Mates. "Hey, it's ok. I know you kind of checked out there for a minute. It's ok, I swear. And before you even think it, I'm not afraid of you. But you scared the hell out of that guy and...I think we need to look into some sort of introductory class for new employees so this doesn't happen again. You said it yourself. Alphas are raised with different beliefs all over the place. Not everyone had the upbringing you did."

"He insulted you," Burnie growled, but Ray’s fingers carded through his hair even as he brushed his nose over the curls and Burnie was instantly soothed. "I get that not everyone has the same view on status. I get that. But you're not an object. You're not a prize. You're an incredible goddamn human being who gave me and Joel the privilege of being yours."

Ray smiled against his hair. "And that's something he could understand with time. So you're not going to fire him, ok? He was just doing what he thought an Alpha was supposed to do. He didn't hurt me, he didn't scare me. At the most, he made me a bit uncomfortable." He turned to Joel, briefly glancing down to see the young Alpha watching him with wide eyes. "Joel, let him up."

There was only a moment of hesitation before Joel complied. Once he released his captive, he slid close and curled around Burnie’s back for additional comfort. Ray watched the young Alpha stand, eyeing the forming bruise around his neck and the careful way he held himself.

"What's your name?"

Surprised, the Alpha froze. "Seth."

"You gonna be ok?"

Seth lowered his gaze. "I think so."

"You still want to work for Rooster Teeth?"

"Yeah, of course. It's been my goal for years."

"Then would you be willing to go through classes to learn how the office pack works? I don't want this shit to happen again."

For a long moment, Seth seemed to struggle to reach a decision. It was odd for him to see an Omega take charge while all the Alphas present just sat back and watched him handle the situation. "What...would that entail?"

Ray flashed a smile. "For starters, a list of Mates, so this isn't repeated. Also a list of those in the middle of courting, advice on how to approach an Omega who's being courted. This company has always been pretty traditional in that sense. I don't know how it is where you're from but we take courting seriously here. To that end, you'd have to get some instruction on proper courting etiquette should an Omega allow you the privilege. There would be more, but that's what I can think of off the top of my head."

"I think I can handle that. Seriously, though. They're really lucky to have an Omega like you. I've never seen anything like this before. It's something I think I'd like to be part of."

"Ok, then. I'll have someone call you with more info. You take some time off to...you know, collect yourself and heal and stuff."

"Thanks. I'll do that."

"Wait, before you go, though." Ray turned back to Burnie. "Babe, I think you owe the man an apology."

Burnie scowled. "He should be the one apologizing. He insulted you and our relationship."

"He didn't know that that's what he was doing."

"Fine. I'm sorry for trying to kill you," Burnie growled reluctantly.

Seth grinned. "And I'm sorry for hitting on your Mate."

Pleased with how everything turned out, Ray nuzzled Burnie’s hair again. He reached out blindly and giggled when Joel’s head appeared under his hand looking for that familiar feeling of those slender fingers in his hair. 

Seth staggered over to his friends and they helped him to the door.

Just as the door closed behind them, a phone rang nearby. 

Michael scrambled for his phone and stared at the display. It was the moment of truth. He looked across the yard to see his Mate watching him. With brown eyes locked on blue, he pressed the button to accept the call and lifted the phone to his ear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooooooo couldn't resist adding in Matt and Jeremy because they have such a great dynamic in the let's builds and I sort of want to explore that a little. (Also not sorry about making Jeremy Alpha and Matt Omega. Mostly because Kdin once said it would be opposite though not in so many words.) Not sure how deeply I'll go in that one but you'll get another view into that next chapter. Also things to look forward to: Ray’s Heat, some news on the baby front and some a Plan-G interlude, not in any particular order. Thank you all for the incredible support and thank you to those who have given advice, I sincerely appreciate it and you. For now this is my one and only project but I may branch out sometime in the near future. If and when that happens this will still be updated so long as there's interest in it so fear not. As always send your prompts, love, hand baked goods my way. Until next time, bless your darling hearts!


	14. Barbecue Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which questions are answered and secrets are revealed.

Ryan took a single shaky step toward Michael as he answered the phone call that could change their lives.

"Hello?" Michael paused and listened for a moment. "Yes, this is Michael Jones." He listened again and Ryan felt how anxious his Mate was through their bond. And Ryan was right there with him. While Michael listened and occasionally made a small noise of understanding, he tried to sort through the endless emotions slamming into him.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'll call back in a while and set up an appointment. I...I need to tell my Mate. Yeah. Thank you." He hung up and Ryan watched as tears filled Michael's eyes even as a huge grin split his face. Giddy laughter bubbled out of Michael as Ryan felt an incredible mix of joy, excitement and relief sweep over him.

"Yeah?" Ryan asked, a smile creeping up on his face.

Michael nodded enthusiastically, unable to stop laughing.

Around them their friends watched the exchange in confusion. They were even more confused when Ryan let out an elated whoop before charging across the yard and scooping up Michael in a tight hug. They were both laughing as Ryan hoisted him up and spun him.

"Ryan, shit! Ryan, put me down!" Michael giggled.

His Alpha stopped spinning and allowed him to slide down so that Michael's feet touched the ground again. And maybe he was just imagining it so early on, but as he buried his face in Michael's neck and inhaled deeply, he thought he could smell something just slightly different about his Mate's scent. Usually Michael's scent was the perfect blend of apple cinnamon, but if he searched a little deeper, he thought he could detect some other spice.

"What's going on?" Gavin demanded.

Michael turned enough to see his friend, but still kept Ryan pressed close. "I'm pregnant." He set off in another giggle fit even as their friends began cheering excitedly around them.

But it was the wonder and shock in Gavin's face that really caught Michael's attention. He nudged Ryan a little, encouraging him to ease up on his grip.

"Gav?"

Geoff appeared and molded himself to his Mate's back with a smug smirk. Before Gavin even spoke, Michael's eyes lit with understanding, both from Geoff's expression and Gavin's tear bright smile. "Me too."

Michael gave an excited shout and squirmed away from his Mate, only to shove Gavin's away so he could snuggle his fellow Omega. "No fucking way! This is awesome! Fucking Team Pregnant Dynamite, boi!"

Ryan and Geoff paused in their proud moment of mutual congratulations and anticipation when Ray started laughing hysterically off to the side. Ryan raised an eyebrow at him. "What's with you?"

"Dude, that gives a whole new meaning to Team Magnum Dong," Ray managed to squeak before he collapsed against Joel.

Ryan and Geoff exchanged glances before they followed Ray into hysterics.

By unspoken agreement, by the time the three had settled down, the Omegas had gathered around Michael and Gavin while the Alphas and Betas swarmed their proud and elated Mates.

Ryan glanced up to see Matt and Jeremy hovering with uncertainty off to the side, unsure of their welcome in the moment. He grinned and left Geoff to the mercy of the pack Alphas and Betas and crossed to the awkward looking pair. Gently, he nudged Matt in the direction of the other Omegas. "Go on. They'll want you to be part of this."

Matt eyed him cautiously for only a moment before Caiti and Monty appeared on either side of him. "What are you doing way over here?" Caiti demanded. "You’re missing out on the best of Omega scent-and-snuggle fests."

Rather than Matt, Ryan was watching Jeremy as the lanky Omega’s face lit up. It was the same way he imagined he looked at Michael in the beginning. "You sure it's cool if I join?" Matt asked timidly.

Monty snorted and tossed a wink at Ryan. "Michael just complained that if you didn't get your ass over there right now it would ruin the Omega bonding for the entire pack. I don't think you have a choice at this point."

Dazed at being included in the pack, Matt allowed himself to be dragged over, where the three were instantly absorbed into the pile of Omegas.

Ryan watched the smile on Jeremy's face at the sight of his friend's inclusion. He was so focused on Matt that he jumped when Ryan grasped his shoulder. "Come on. I want you in on the Alpha/Beta bonding."

Jeremy was surprisingly shy for an Alpha and Ryan decided he liked it. He would fit nicely into their strange pack once he allowed himself to believe that he belonged. "Really?"

"Yeah, of course. You're still new to the pack, but you are pack, so you should be involved in these things."

As they joined the others, Jeremy offered a bright smile. "Thanks."

"Hey!" Geoff cried, slamming into Ryan with a tight hug. There was only a moment where it was just the two of them before he reached out and tugged Jeremy into it. Jack threw his arms around all three. One by one the others piled in, contentment flowing all around. After a short while of the individual groups scenting, they broke off again to return to their previous activities.

Geoff and Ryan instantly headed for their Mates. Michael was the first to squirm out of the Omega pile. He hummed happily when Ryan swept him up into his arms. He breathed his Mate in and as he breathed out he whispered, "I love you."

"I love you, so much," Ryan breathed back just before capturing Michael's mouth in a deep, lingering kiss. "I'm so damn amazed right now."

It hit Michael just then that he had something that was both of them growing inside of him. "I am a little scared and a lot amazed," he admitted softly. "Mostly excited though. I mean, we're having a kid. We're going to be responsible for the existence of a human being."

Ryan nodded and brushed his cheek lightly against Michael's. "Hmm, we may be the ones to make this kid, but you do know that the entire pack will insist on helping whenever we'll let them."

"Yeah. And Jesus Christ, I can already hear Gavin trying to set up playdates."

A soft chuckle rumbled through Ryan and Michael enjoyed the way he could feel the laugh more than hear it. "Yeah, well, whatever happens...we're not naming this child James."

Startled by the statement, Michael snorted out a laugh. "I wasn't even going to suggest it, but now that you mention it..."

"No. Not gonna happen. Besides, we have months to argue about what name to pick. And I fully intend to use every dirty trick I can think of to get you to agree with one I like."

"You know what? As long as you don't try to name the kid Edgar, I think we're good."

"Hey, now." Ryan pretended to contemplate that and received a smack on the shoulder for it.

"No way. You say no to James, I say fuck no to Edgar. It's only fair."

"Of course, Darling. Whatever you say, Darling."

"Oh, shut up."

Ryan smiled against Michael's hair. "You know what I'm gonna miss for the next while?"

"What's that?"

"Your Heats. I'm gonna miss how pretty and eager you always are for me. How you think you're being all sneaky by using your Heat to talk me into something new."

Michael flushed but didn't deny it.

"Actually," Gavin said from the side. "Pregnancy is sort of...well you should probably know that it's gonna pretty much feel like you're always just on the edge of your Heat."

Michael didn't know whether to be pleased or annoyed with that bit of information. "Seriously?"

"Yup. It's not so bad. You'll be a bit more eager for sex all the time, but...well, Geoff seems happy enough to take advantage of that."

"Fuck yeah I am," Geoff agreed. "Been the best sex of our relationship since we were newly Mated."

"How far along are you, anyway?" Ryan wondered.

"Fourteen weeks, tomorrow."

"That's...oddly specific."

"Oh, well, yeah." Gavin blushed. "Geoff sort of...knocked me up second day of my Heat a couple months ago. It cut it short, so we went to the doctor and got it confirmed."

Something was bothering Michael. "So why did you wait until now to tell us if you've known for a couple months?"

Now the blush was sweet and Gavin nuzzled into Geoff. "For the first couple weeks it was because it was so new, and we wanted to have it just for us for a little while, you know? Then we decided to wait until tonight so we could share it with the whole pack at once."

Geoff rolled his eyes. "Then you two had to steal our thunder like you did in Thunderdome."

"I refuse to apologize for being happy and excited to be a father," Ryan stated with a grin.

"And you absolutely should be," Geoff agreed. "I know I am. And actually, this is way more exciting than if it was just us."

"You realize what this means, right?" Ryan asked warily.

"That we'll very likely be in-laws provided our kids are different status?"

"Yup."

"I'm surprisingly ok with that. Oh, hey, one more thing." Geoff nuzzled Gavin's neck lightly, nipping briefly at his pulse point. "Go on and show them, baby."

Gavin's blush, which had never fully faded, returned with a vengeance as he looked up at his Alpha. "Are you sure? I thought we were gonna keep that just for us for a bit longer."

"Well, we have to one up them somehow."

"Yeah, ok." Gavin reached under the collar of his shirt and pulled out a thin chain. From the end dangled a simple band.

"Holy shit," Michael burst out excitedly. "Is that an engagement ring?" He snatched it off Gavin's chest and studied it closer. "Dude, why the hell would you hide something like this? Put that fucker on your finger and be proud."

Geoff didn't give Gavin a chance to protest. Instead, he unclasped the necklace, slipped the ring off the chain and tenderly slipped the ring onto Gavin's finger. For a moment, he simply admired the sight of his ring on his Mate's hand. Gavin's smile was sweet and tender when Geoff ducked his head and pressed his lips lovingly over the ring.

"Ok," Michael cut in. "Now that that's out of the way, I'm stealing Gavin so we can bond over being pregnant, I can pester the fuck out of Gavin until he gives in and makes me his best man, and you two can go play big-brother-Alpha to poor Jeremy before he loses his mind staring at Matt."

Geoff grinned. "That's always fun."

Ryan nodded. "It really is." They headed across the yard together.

"Be nice!" Gavin called after them. He shared a glance with Michael when their Mates ignored them and descended on the poor, unsuspecting, young Alpha. "Jeremy's gonna regret being dragged into this pack, isn't he?"

"Oh, yeah. Absolutely. Our idiot Mates wouldn't have it any other way."

Gavin giggled and, with Michael pulled close, made his way over to gather some food.

His little one was hungry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well there we have it. A little sweetness to hold you over. Next chapter will have Ray’s Heat, and I intend to try and fit it all into one chapter rather than split it up, so it will probably be quite the monster. Might take a bit. Anyway, much love and hugs to everyone who has been with me from the start and to those of you just joining, welcome to the pack. :D And as always, bless your darling hearts! <3


	15. Heat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there is a fluff/smut sandwich and Ray learns yet another new thing about himself.

Waking up in a quiet, empty house after weeks of always having at least one Alpha around was a jarring experience. And one Ray didn't care to experience anymore. He didn't have to. Not with two incredible, patient, gorgeous, sweet Alphas. Maybe it was a bit childish, but he felt annoyed that they were both gone, knowing that his Heat would fully kick in during the next day or so.

 

Already he could feel the heavy warmth settled low in his belly. Usually, that precursor to the full flood of hormones was pleasant but frustrating. When he felt the first tugging, he would always drag himself around the apartment piling his bedding and the nesting supplies his mother had sent for him in front of the television where he would play games during the lulls.

 

But this time, he was supposed to have his Alphas to take care of him. Joel had already promised to build his nest and Burnie had apparently researched recipes that were gentle on the stomach of those in Heat. But they were both gone and his apartment felt cold and empty without them. That simmering of Heat in his belly only compounded on that feeling and left him lost and a little frazzled.

 

He was sulking as he pulled on the hoodie he'd stolen from Joel the night before and trudged out to the living room. On the counter in the little kitchen nook he immediately spotted a bowl of cherries and a note.

 

Despite his determination to continue sulking, he found himself lured by the shiny red skins promising bursting flavor. As he bit delicately into the first cherry of the day, he read the short note.

 

_Sweetheart,_

 

_Out getting supplies and making sure we're well stocked up for the next few days. Should be done collecting supplies pretty quickly. Expect us back by 1._

 

_Miss you already,_

_Burnie_

 

Below that, in Joel's messy scrawl, Ray read: _I miss you more!!_

 

Ray snorted, but his grin had a softness to it. He loved that they insisted on leaving him little notes like that. And rather than text, they usually made it a point to call him directly. He liked that they preferred to hear his voice instead of waiting on a text reply. But the notes. They were sweet in a way texting could never be. It meant they took the time to actually write something out for him.

 

He hadn't told them, but he had every note either of them had written to him, along with several of the flowers-dried and pressed-hidden in a box in his closet. It wasn't like the notes were a secret. But he liked having that little thing for himself. They knew he liked the notes since they kept writing them, but he didn't think they realized just how much they meant to him. In a way, having that tangible evidence, those little gifts that he could touch, proved to him that he was worth something.

 

That someone looked at him and saw an entire future. There were no words to accurately describe how much worth Joel and Burnie had given him and how wonderful that felt.

 

After stowing the note away with the others-and poking through a few old favorites-he found he only had about a half hour before his Alphas returned. With that in mind, he hopped into the shower to clean himself for what would probably be the last time for the next few days. Any other showers, he imagined his Alphas would be cleaning him. They liked to do that and his Heat would provide a good excuse. He took his time toweling off and dressed in loose shorts and the shirt he'd stolen from Burnie on their first night together. He reasoned that it would be easier just to skip the underwear since it would only get soaked soon anyway. Thank God for absorbent nesting pads.

 

Now that he was nice and clean he wandered out into the living room. Still empty. He'd hoped that he would waste enough time in the shower that his Alphas would be waiting for him. No such luck.

 

Annoyed and more than a little pouty, he threw himself down face first on the couch and sulked. Even with his face pressed into the cushion, he could smell the cherries beckoning him from the kitchen but he stubbornly ignored them. He didn't give a shit about cherries right now. He wanted his Alphas. More importantly, he wanted to bond with them. Wanted the intimacy he was forced to watch his friends experience.

 

Before, he'd only see Michael and Ryan utilize their bond on the rarest of occasions. In the past week, he lost count of how many times he saw Michael just pause in his work and turn to Ryan for no reason, only to smile, blush and turn back to his work, hands trailing absently over his still flat belly. Bashful, Ray decided, was a wonderful look for Michael.

 

With Gavin and Geoff it wasn't nearly as unusual. They had always gleefully taken advantage of their bond. It wasn't unusual, but Ray still couldn't help but think that it felt different now that the ring was on Gavin's finger instead of hidden away. More than once, Ray had caught Geoff nuzzling Gavin's belly or lifting his hand to kiss the ring.

 

In a sudden moment of clarity, Ray realized that he wanted that. Somehow, more than officially bonding with his Mates, he felt the fierce desire to watch his own belly grow, knowing that he was carrying a little part of his Mates with him. Perhaps the only feeling equal to that was the fear that one would be jealous if the other fathered his first child.

 

He sighed and grumbled a little. Just one more worry to add to the fucking ever growing list. He almost missed the uncomplicated, albeit lonely life he had before Joel and Burnie finally acted on their interest. Almost.

 

When he heard the key rattle slightly in the door, he shift and didn't bother to hold in the moan at the sudden flood of virile Alpha that filled his apartment.

 

"Well damn," Burnie said. "He's closer to full Heat than we thought."

 

Ray watched through slightly hazy eyes as Joel's hands tightened on the handles of the bags he held.

 

"What the fuck is all that?" Ray wondered.

 

Burnie grinned proudly and deposited his bags in the kitchen.

 

"Heat supplies. I know you have your own nesting things but Joel insisted that it would mean more to all of us if we got you some new ones."

 

"Dude, the stuff my mom sent me is ratty and old as shit. I've been meaning to get new stuff anyway."

 

"Well there you go," Joel finally spoke up. He sounded a little strained. To be fair, Ray figured the entire apartment probably smelled like melted chocolate orange. He wondered if either of them had helped an Omega that wasn't related by blood through a Heat.

 

And he would never know if all he did was wonder silently. So he asked.

 

"Have either of you done this before?"

 

He watched both of them pause in their movements, Burnie with his hand frozen halfway to the fridge and Joel with the coffee table almost moved out of the way.

 

"I helped my sister a bit," Joel said softly. "Built her nest and stuff, brought her food and water.  That kind of thing."

 

"My mom needed the same kind of help if my dad had to be away for something to do with one of his other Mates."

 

"But neither of you have done this for an Omega you're not related to?"

 

Burnie smiled that stupidly charming yet annoyingly smug smile he always got when he was about to explain something obvious.

 

"We told you right from the start, Sweetheart. Neither of us have ever been interested in Omegas. Betas don't go through Heat cycles like this."

 

Joel sounded a little annoyed as he shoved the coffee table the rest of the way over to the side of the living room.

 

"And since this is so fucking new for all of us, Burnie said we have to talk about like, rules and shit."

 

"What kind of rules?" Ray wondered. He roused himself from the couch and gave in to the lure of the cherries now that his Alphas were there.

 

"Patience, Sweetheart," Burnie said. He paused in putting away the food and drinks he'd bought to press a lingering kiss to Ray's lips. "We've still got plenty of time for that. Let's get this all set up and ready for you, then we'll sit down and talk."

 

Ray felt his mouth pull in another pout but Joel kissed it away before turning to his own task of setting up a nest big enough for all three of them to fit comfortably.There were a few bundles of fabric that he set aside that Ray puzzled over but he figured he would get an explanation on those later. Joel knew what he was doing, he supposed.

 

Once Burnie was done with his own task, he joined Joel, following the other Alpha's instructions on how to best build the nest. The whole time Ray watched, munching on cherries and sipping from the bottle of water Burnie handed him.

 

As they worked, Ray watched a pattern emerge. It wasn't until Joel placed the last pillow that he realized just what it was.

 

"Holy shit, it's a rose."

 

Joel looked inordinately pleased with himself, though Ray recognized the faint hint of anxiety in his smile.

 

"I looked it up online and thought you might like it...is it too much?"

 

Ray hastily shoved the bowl out of his lap and bounded towards Joel, determined to climb him and kiss the hell out of him.

 

"It's amazing. I didn't even know that was a thing."

 

"Oh good. I was about to feel like a complete idiot."

 

"Well you are, but you're our idiot, so it works."

 

"Ok, grown-up discussion before marathon sex.” Joel scooped Ray up and dropped onto the couch with the Omega in his lap.

 

"I think I really only have one concern," Burnie said.

 

"The knotting thing?" Ray guessed. With the edge of his Heat teasing his nerves, he frowned at the idea of having two incredibly capable Alphas at his disposal and not being able to have either of their knots. Realistically he knew that knotting for the first time during a Heat was a recipe for disaster, but the slow flood of hormones disagreed.

 

"The knotting thing," Burnie confirmed.

 

"Listen, Baby," Joel sighed. He nuzzled Ray's shoulder lightly. "We all want to just bond already.  Being forced to wait sucks."

 

"But bonds formed during Heats are never as strong. We're already dealing with enough issues over bonding, we don't need to add to it."

 

"So that's an official rule. Under no circumstances will we knot you during a Heat until after we're bonded."

 

"I'm gonna add to that," Ray said. "Rule 2 is that you two can't knot each other during my Heat because I know it'll only make things worse for me."

 

"Deal," Joel agreed.

 

"Besides," Burnie added. "These few days are going to be all about you as far as I'm concerned." Joel nodded along. "So aside from knotting you, we'll do our best to do whatever you want us to."

 

"Sweet. Are we done with this? Cause I really need one of you to finger me right now."

 

He only had a second to enjoy the looks of startled lust before Joel abruptly stood and deposited him in the nest. Burnie immediately seized his mouth in a demanding kiss that barely muffled his pleased sounds.

 

Joel left the shirt to Burnie as he tore impatiently at the fastenings of Ray's shorts. He groaned in appreciation when he tugged them down a little and revealed bare skin.

 

"Fuck, you're not wearing any underwear."

 

"Seemed like a waste of time," Ray panted when Burnie released his mouth in order to look for himself. "Didn't want to-oh fuck!" He arched up into Burnie's questing mouth when Joel bypassed any notion of foreplay and plunged two fingers into Ray's dripping hole. Those delightfully long fingers unerringly found that wonderful bundle of nerves and pressed just long enough for Ray's mind to white out for a second.

 

He panted harshly before Joel pressed again and he just went limp, moaning helplessly. He clenched his hands only to find that Burnie had them pinned above his head. Before he could comment, Burnie leaned down and bit gently on his neck. In counterpoint to that, Joel sucked harshly on his hip and Ray had a few seconds to wonder if his entire body would end up just one huge hickey by the end of his Heat. Then Joel worked in another finger and Ray squirmed, all thoughts obliterated in the wake of the exquisite stretch.

 

Hot breath ghosted over the skin of his thigh, prompting a shiver.

 

“What's your record for most times you came in a Heat spike?"

 

Since his fingers continued to probe, Ray had to struggle to think. It didn't help that Burnie's exploration of his chest had led him to Ray's embarrassingly sensitive nipples.

 

"Like four? Maybe five times?"

 

Burnie hummed and nipped a little, dragging another shiver from their Omega.

 

"We'll have to see if we can beat that." He latched onto a nipple and sucked harshly, fully aware that Joel had taken the opportunity to thrust his fingers even deeper. The noises that flooded from Ray's mouth were beautiful and both Alphas became aware of just how painfully hard they were.

 

As Burnie flicked his tongue teasingly at the bud in his mouth, he reasoned that it was a delightful side effect of having such a young, enthusiastic Mate. He and Joel hadn't been quite so readily aroused since they first started dating. And while they still wanted each other with an almost troubling ferocity, Ray brought a new dynamic along with a renewed youthful feeling. He was startled from his thoughts when Ray bucked up with a soft wail and came from nothing but Burnie's mouth and Joel's fingers.

 

Pleased by the sudden renewal of Ray's scent, Burnie licked down his stomach, cleaning up the mess as he went. When he reached his goal, he took a moment to admire the smooth, pretty cock in front of him, still hard and beautifully flushed.

 

Joel kept thrusting his fingers until Ray's hole stopped twitching. He watched with hooded eyes as Burnie made sure to clean up every inch of Ray's stomach before taking him in his mouth with a blissed out hum. For a moment he admired the image of his Mates while he absently sucked the slick from his fingers. And once he got a taste, he craved more. So he dove down and replaced his fingers with his mouth.

 

Ray let out a surprised shout at the sudden presence of a tongue where he was still so sensitive. Any other time and he would still be squirming, but that was one of the wonders of a Heat. He could do this for hours and instead of screaming in protest, his nerves would crave the continued contact. Still skirting the edge of his Heat he had a moment to worry his Mates might not be able to keep up with his needs. But that was probably one of the advantages of having two lovers, one could nap while the other kept him occupied.

 

Then Joel did something with his tongue at the same time that Burnie sucked enthusiastically and just like that he was gone. Lost in the familiar, all consuming fever of his Heat. He came again with a low whine. As he settled again he noticed that his Alphas were frantically shedding clothing. That realization was followed by a strange sound he had never heard himself make. It was almost a purr. The sound abruptly became a growl when he felt a familiar weight settle over him and his world became the warm blanket of skin.

 

He rutted mindlessly up into his human blanket and heard Joel's answering groan. They quickly settled into a familiar rhythm. One that Joel had discovered early on that could get them both off in record time. A useful trick for sneaking in a morning quickie when Burnie was trying to get them out the door on time. Now it had the added benefit of helping Joel try to beat Ray's record early on. Chances were that Ray would peak at four, but Joel was determined to try. And if he had fun while doing so, well that was all the better.

 

Burnie appeared sometime during the rapid climb and nudged Joel impatiently. It took a little doing but Joel managed to keep up his and Ray's rhythm while Burnie somehow worked the toy into Ray.

 

"Fuck yes," Ray whimpered. "Oh, God, fucking-do it, Burnie. Knot me. I need it so bad."

 

Burnie shuddered and pressed his forehead against Joel's shoulder. He took a few steadying breaths as he fucked the toy into Ray at an excruciatingly slow pace.

 

"Not yet, Sweetheart. Not until after you cum again. I want to see how bad you want my knot."  He hated himself a little for saying something like that when all three knew it couldn't happen yet, but he couldn't help himself. He fell into the fantasy anyway, imagining what that tight slick heat would feel like around him. He wondered if it would feel similar to Joel. "Show me how much you want it."

 

Ray did not disappoint. He squirmed impatiently between the toy and Joel, those sweet sounds that both Alphas adored issuing from lightly bruised lips. True to form, Joel's rhythm worked beautifully and in almost no time at all they were groaning their release into each other's necks. Behind Joel, Burnie had only to give himself a few firm strokes before he tipped over the edge, spilling over Joel's back and Ray's thigh. Through his daze he managed to thumb the button on the toy and smiled when he heard Ray's pleased sigh at the now familiar stretch.

 

After a long moment where the room was filled only with the sounds of their harsh breathing, Burnie stood on slightly shaky legs and found some towels. He shoved one between Joel and Ray in a silent order to his older Mate. Even as he cleaned up his own mess from their skin and did what he could about the continued stream of slick that seeped out from around the toy, Joel half heartedly wiped down their stomachs and tossed the towel aside. All the while he never stopped nuzzling Ray's jaw.

 

Satisfied that his Mates were taken care of for now, Burnie wandered into the kitchen to retrieve bottles of water. One he downed himself and the others he tucked in next to his Mates for when they emerged from scenting long enough to be thirsty. For a few minutes he stood next to the nest admiring the view presented. The long pale stretch of Joel's back, the slightly darker contrast of Ray's fingers as they trailed over pleasure warmed skin. The knee Joel occasionally nudged the toy with simply to hear Ray's breath catch.

 

It occurred to Burnie that he might never understand how he got so damn lucky to be able to claim the two beautiful men entwined in the nest, but he swore to himself then and there that he would never take them for granted.

 

His musings were cut short by the sound of the toy deflating. Carefully he nudged Joel's leg out of the way and gently removed it. For a moment he was distracted by the sight of Ray's suddenly empty, still dripping hole. He wanted nothing more than to fill it and just stay there forever. But because he was responsible and determined to see that his Mates were well taken care of, he gently toweled Ray off and slipped one of the absorbent pads under his hips.

 

A few minutes later and with careful shifting, Ray was already nodding off even as Joel and Burnie draped over him.

 

Joel trailed a tender finger over Ray's jaw and smiled when the Omega barely stirred except to lean slightly into the touch.

 

"He's really perfect, isn't he."

 

Burnie hummed in agreement.

 

"You're kind of perfect, too, you know."

 

"Shut up, Burns."

 

"I'm serious, idiot. Now shut up and go to sleep. We're both gonna need the rest. Something tells me he'll end up wearing both of us out by the end of this."

 

Joel smirked.

 

"I look forward to it."

 

***

 

Burnie woke up to plump thighs spread wide over his hips and warm slick dribbling messily across his skin. For one panicked moment he thought Ray was trying to mount him. But all the Omega did was squirm against him. He seemed to become aware that Burnie was awake because he dove down and seized his mouth in a slow, deep kiss. Heats, Burnie decided as he grasped Ray's hips and forced them into a slower rhythm to match the pace of their kiss, were amazing things. Already, with Joel's encouragement, Ray had beaten his record twice. By now they had passed the halfway point of the Heat and Ray was in the slow decline. With that warm, eager form writhing against his chest with need, Burnie was torn between relief and disappointment that it would end soon. At least for a few months.

 

"Burnie," Ray breathed against his mouth. "Please. I need you."

 

Blindly, Burnie flung out a hand and groped around until he found the toy he'd deliberately placed nearby. He reached down and tested the give of Ray's hole before using the slick he'd gathered to lube up the toy. Aware of how raw his little Omega must be feeling after two days he carefully worked the toy in. He expected to see that now familiar look of bliss, but instead Ray frowned and huffed out a distressed sound.

 

"It's...fuck, I need more."

 

Stunned, Burnie froze and from the strangled sound nearby he knew Joel was awake and listening.

 

"More?" Joel asked hesitantly. "What...what do you mean?"

 

Ray trembled and leaned his forehead shyly on Burnie's chest.  

 

"I need both of you. Please? I swear I can take it. I just...please?"

 

Silence fell over them as Burnie and Joel stared at each other uncertainly. Despite everything, it was something neither had considered before. Burnie watched as Joel seemed to come to a conclusion and he swung his leg over to straddle Burnie with practiced ease. He shuffled forward to press against Ray's back and Burnie shuddered when his cock got caught between them.

 

"Are you sure, Baby?" Joel whispered against Ray's shoulder. "There's no shame in changing your mind."

 

"I know," Ray growled. "I want you both so much."

 

"Ok," Joel soothed gently. "Ok, we can try. If you need to stop, just tell me and I will, I promise. "

 

"No, need you," Ray insisted.

 

"I know, Baby, I know. Just...let me make sure you're stretched, ok?" Joel reached down and trailed a nervous finger around the skin already stretched tight around the toy. When Ray made an impatient noise and wiggled his hips again, Joel slid the finger in next to the toy.

 

Ray's breath hitched at the additional stretch. "More," He gasped.

 

While Joel complied and continued to stretch their young lover, Burnie found the other toy and examined it. He knew that Ray would insist that he be knotted by both toys and while he seemed to be taking Joel's fingers well enough, and might not have too much trouble with the second toy, the additional swell of the knots would probably be too much. Despite that, Burnie was strangely determined to try. But he wanted the assurance that they could end it immediately if it became too much. He was relieved to find the manual release that would deflate the toy immediately if Ray needed it.

 

Satisfied that they could prevent any unnecessary pain or damage, Burnie refocused on the pair in his lap.  Joel was steadily teasing Ray up to his first orgasm of the night. He glanced up to see Burnie watching them and grinned.

 

"How many?" Burnie asked.

 

"Three fingers. Taking them like a champ. You're doing so well, Baby."

 

Beyond words, Ray whimpered and leaned his head back on Joel's shoulder. Then Joel did something and Ray gasped sharply and came across Burnie's stomach. Even as he shuddered through the aftershocks, Joel reached out a slick hand to Burnie. With only the slightest beat of hesitation, Burnie handed the toy over.

 

Joel gently urged Ray up a little higher on his knees. He lined the toy up and mouthed at the scent gland just under his jaw.

 

"Ready?"

 

Ray nodded frantically, still unable to form words.

 

"Promise me that you'll tell me if it's too much," Joel demanded. "Promise me or this isn't going to happen."

 

"I promise," Ray panted. "I swear I'll tell you. Please, Joel. Oh, God. Please, Burnie, Joel, I need you both so fucking much. Please..." Frustrated tears shone in his eyes as he tried to move his hips back toward the second toy.

 

After a few seconds Joel took pity on him and gently eased the toy in. All three were surprised at how easily it slid in and the second it bottomed out, Ray came again so abruptly that it startled them all.

 

"Fuuuck," Ray hissed out. He almost collapsed forward but he caught himself on Burnie's shoulders where he gripped convulsively. "Oh fuck oh god, move. Jesus Christ someone fucking _move_."

 

A little smug, Joel immediately started up a brutal pace and the response was perfection. Ray fell into an uncontrollable stream of babbling, simultaneously praising his Alphas while still demanding more and harder and _faster_.

 

The sight of Ray so lost in his pleasure while Joel sucked another mark into his neck had Burnie painfully hard. It was easily one of the most erotic things he had ever witnessed. Joel's hips moved restlessly and every time his cock brushed Burnie's they both shuddered and moaned and Ray would always echo it, giving a lovely feedback loop of pleasure that they all fell into easily.

 

"Close," Ray ground out through clenched teeth. "Fuck, close. Knot me. Please." He continued to gasp out the word 'please' almost like a desperate chant. Over his shoulder, the Alphas shared a heated look and almost in perfect unison they pressed the buttons on the toys. Ray went so suddenly still that his Mates began to panic. Then he came almost violently, panting sobs ripping from his abused throat.

 

Curious what would happen, Burnie reached out and grasped Ray's smooth cock, stroking teasingly. Ray's back arched and another volley of cum painted Burnie's stomach, accompanied by a slightly over stimulated cry.

 

Behind Ray, Joel slid a little closer and wrapped a large hand around himself and Burnie. All it took was a few firm strokes and when Burnie felt the unexpected swell of Joel's knot against him, his own swelled until they both filled the tight confines of Joel's fist. He lost track of orgasms after that. By the time he felt his knot begin to deflate, the area between Joel's stomach and Ray's back was an absolute mess. Burnie's stomach faired no better, painted by the additional orgasms the Omega had shuddered through.

 

Trembling, Burnie and Joel gently eased the toys out of Ray despite his exhausted complaints.  They situated Ray in the middle of the nest and attempted to clean up as well as they could.  After a minute they gave up on more than a cursory wipe down and curled around their Omega,

 

who was still whining about being so terribly empty. Burnie snorted, but urged Ray to hook his leg over Joel's hip. Then he slid a warm palm down and slipped three fingers into the loose hole.  Ray gave a satisfied sigh and nuzzled lightly against Joel's collarbone. Then Joel's hand smoothed over his hip and Burnie felt another few fingers slide in next to his. Both Alphas snickered at the happy Omega chirp that earned them.

 

A moment later Ray was asleep and his Alphas were not far behind.

 

***

 

It was strange to wake up from his Heat fully aware of what had transpired. Usually, his entire Heat was remembered as a haze of need and fuzziness that Ray absolutely detested. But this time, since he had help from his Alphas, he remembered every delightful detail and simply laid there in content. It took perhaps longer than it should have to find he wasn't in the nest. He was sprawled across his own bed noticeably alone. Though he could hear his Mates speaking in low voices and the distinct sounds of the washer and dryer so he reasoned that they were probably cleaning his apartment.

 

He felt a little strange not cleaning up himself. But as he shifted towards the edge of the bed and realized just how sore he was, he decided it was one of the perks of having Mates. He took his time gathering up clothes and shuffled into the bathroom for a much needed shower.

 

It wasn't until he was scrubbing the last remnants of slick from his thighs that he remembered exactly what he'd done about halfway through his Heat. Embarrassment flooded him. Despite Michael's suggestion, he hadn't actually intended to go through with it. He had meant to try it by himself at first and work his way up to easing his Mates into the idea. Obviously that was out the window. Though the fact that they had eagerly complied twice more since that hesitant first time indicated that they weren't opposed to the idea.

 

Even with the knowledge that they'd seemed to enjoy themselves, the embarrassment lingered to the point that Ray found himself extending his shower for no other reason than he was nervous to face them. It was one thing to beg for something during a Heat. Facing the consequences afterwards was an entirely different matter.

 

When he finally shuffled into the living room, Burnie was folding the second load of nesting supplies and Joel appeared to be washing something in the sink.

 

Burnie spotted him first and scooped him up into a warm hug and a sweet kiss.

 

"Morning, Sweetheart."

 

"Morning," Ray murmured in return. It felt a little odd to be pressed against Burnie with clothing between them. He had been spoiled the last few days with constant access to naked skin.

 

"How are you feeling? Not too sore?"

 

"Nah. A little achy, but I mean, that's more exercise than I've had in years."

 

Burnie snorted and nuzzled Ray's hair gently.

 

"Why don't you go pester Joel about the presents he got you this morning and once I'm done folding these, I'll make breakfast."

 

Curious, Ray accepted the kiss Burnie offered before wandering into the kitchen. Joel was distracted by whatever he was doing, so Ray wound his arms around Joel's waist from behind and snuggled into his back.  

 

"Hey."

 

Joel paused momentarily in surprise before continuing on with his task.  

 

"Hey. Do you always sleep that much after your Heat ends?"

 

"Not really. To be fair though you guys wore me the fuck out. I'm told there are presents?"

 

Joel snickered and finished what he was doing. He dried his hands and turned to pull Ray into a kiss.

 

"So this is probably stupid but I thought. I mean, you seemed to like being full and all so I thought why not do something about that." He shifted a little so Ray could see the new toys drying on the counter.

 

The sight startled a laugh out of Ray.

 

"Joel, are those fucking butt plugs?"

 

The Alpha gave an unapologetic shrug.  

 

"Yeah. I wasn't sure which ones you might like so I bought a few different kinds. I sort of like the idea of you wearing one to work. No one knowing but the three of us."

 

Ray blushed heavily. He imagined slipping one in as a new part of his morning routine. Thought about what it would be like to sneak into Burnie's office to fool around at lunch. How he'd react when he slid a hand into Ray's pants to tease him only to find that he was already stretched tight around a toy. Or how Joel would know just from the way he walked and how his eyes would darken and he'd pull Ray into the nearest bathroom to replace the toy with his fingers or tongue.

 

"Ok, you two," Burnie said. "None of that in the kitchen. Go make out on the couch or something while I make breakfast. Or lunch. Whatever."

 

Joel scooped Ray up and carried him to the couch where he sat with the Omega in his lap. They were perfectly content to indulge in a slow make out session that somehow devolved into a bit of heavy scenting. By the time food was on the table, Ray was pleasantly scent drunk. Instead of sitting at the table properly, he perched on Burnie's lap. In response the Alpha insisted on feeding him.

 

"So," Burnie started as he offered another bite of waffle to Ray. "That whole double knotting thing was kind of out of the blue."

 

Ray's embarrassment crashed back through him and he felt his face heat. "Yeah, well. Ok, honestly? I've been thinking about it for a while now. Like, maybe it could be our solution to the bonding thing. Only I meant to try it myself because I didn't know if it was even possible and I didn't want you to get your hopes up or anything and if I couldn't take it you two wouldn't have to worry, you know?"

 

"What if you hurt yourself while trying it alone?" Burnie demanded.

 

"It's not like it hurt me," Ray pointed out. "I took it just fine."

 

Joel growled lowly.

 

"There's a huge difference between doing something like that in and out of Heat. While you're in Heat your body is naturally open to more than it would normally be. For all you know, it could be impossible for you to handle outside your Heat. Do you have any idea how horrible we'd feel if you were hurt like that?"

 

Ray flinched away from Joel's raised voice. He hadn't considered it like that.

 

"I'm sorry."

 

Joel immediately regretted raising his voice. He edged his chair closer and threw his arms around both of his Mates.

 

"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled, but the thought that you could have hurt yourself and we'd have no idea scares the hell out of me."

 

"I think it could be worth a shot," Burnie mused. "We could see if it's something you can handle outside your Heat and if you can..."

 

"It might be our only shot at all three of us bonding," Joel agreed. "It's got to be better than just hoping for the best."

 

"Not to mention, it felt fucking incredible," Ray added with a cheeky grin. "I mean, it can only feel better with the real thing."

 

Burnie rolled his eyes, though his Mates noticed the slight flush to his cheeks.

 

"Shut up, Ray."

 

"You mean you don't want to hear how amazing it felt being so stretched wide open? How being so fucking full made it hard to breathe in the best way? How-" His teasing was cut off by Burnie's demanding mouth and he laughed into the hungry kiss. When Burnie released his mouth to work another bruise into his neck, he hummed breathlessly. "Three days of marathon sex and you're still horny? Jesus, Burns. I thought I was supposed to be the needy one here."

 

"Guess you're rubbing off on us."

 

"Not yet, but I can if you want."

 

"Ray?"

 

"Yeah?"

 

"Shut the fuck up and suck my dick."

 

"You got it, Boss."

 

"Hey what about me?" Joel whined.

 

Burnie smirked. "You can help him."

 

A moment later he was treated to the lovely sight of his Mates tugging at his pants and arguing playfully about who got to do what.

 

Yeah, life was damn good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit wow I'm sorry this took so long to get out. Furious writer's block coupled with real world family issues did not make for good writing. I really hope the length makes up for it just a little. Super mega thanks to jewelflower for being the world's most patient beta as well as the giver of some much needed confidence boosting. For those of you interested in back stories of this verse I've got that in the works as well. That will include Joel and Burnie meeting/going on their first date, Ryan andMichael's somewhat rocky start and whatever else I imagine up or you guys prompt me with. This will continue to be rather linear where the other will jump around. Keep an eye out for that. Again I really hope you like this chapter, it was the most difficult by far but worth it, I think. As always, bless your darling hearts! <3


	16. Tournaments, Family and Misunderstandings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Jeremy pines and someone new starts collecting Omegas like stray kittens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm terrible and have no excuses for why this took so damn long. Writer's block we awful but I think I've managed to work through most of it. :) enjoy my lovelies!

"Come on, come on, come _on_!"

 

Jeremy pulled his headphones off and watched Kerry dash into the room and slide to a stop next to Matt.

 

Still a little timid despite how often they were reminded that they were Pack, Matt hesitated against Kerry's insistent tugging.  "What's up?"

 

"Gavin said the baby's kicking.  Come on."

 

Excitement broke through Matt's hesitation and with a bright grin he followed the young writer from the office.

 

"You're doing it again," Adam said without looking away from his own computer.

 

"Shut up, and I have no idea what you're talking about."  Even as he denied it, Jeremy continued to stare after Matt.

 

"Seriously, dude. You're just as bad as Joel and Burnie were when they first started courting Ray."

 

"He's not wrong," Monty stated as he wandered into the office still in his motion capture suit.  He gave a small yawn, nudged Adam's chair enough around so he could drop into his lap, and snuggled in.  His eyes were already closed so he missed the way Adam's face flushed.  The Alphas exchanged looks before Adam shrugged and looped his arms around Monty.  Pleased, the perpetually sleepy Omega hummed and burrowed deeper into Adam's warmth.  "You should just ask to court him. He'd be really happy."  A drowsy smile lifted his lips as he patted Adam's chest.  "Speaking of, if you ask to court me, I wouldn't say no.  If not it's cool.  Just saying."

 

Jeremy watched with no small amount of envy as a dazed grin lit the larger Alpha's face.  "Yeah?"

 

Monty nodded where he was pressed into the broad chest.  "Mmhmm.  Now shut up.  You can take me to dinner after work."

 

And just like that he was asleep.

 

Joel strolled in and stopped mid step.  "What's this?"

 

Jeremy rolled his eyes.  "Monty claimed Adam's lap for this afternoon's sleep mode.  Oh, and he basically told Adam to stop fucking around and court him already.  So that's a thing."  He turned back to his computer if only to avoid the smug smirk that Adam couldn't help.

 

"Wow," Joel said in genuine surprise. "So like, he had to ask you?  You're such a fucking pussy."

 

Adam shrugged. "So? I have him, don't I?"

 

Joel considered that for a moment then nodded. "Guess so."

 

They each settled in to work on their editing. It took a while for Joel to realize that someone was missing from the office. "Where's Matt?"

 

"Omega bonding over the Plan G pup," Adam explained.

 

As if summoned, Matt popped his head into the room. "Hey, Jeremy, Geoff wants us for a video or something."

 

Surprised, Jeremy's brow furrowed.  "Us? Why?"

 

Matt rolled his eyes.  "Look, he just told me to get you.  Now come on."

 

"Yes, sir," Jeremy said with a playful salute.  "I guess we'll be back in a bit."

 

"Ok, just don't take too long.  We need you guys if we're gonna film that How To today."

 

"Got it."  As soon as Jeremy was close enough, Matt grabbed his hand and tugged him toward the Achievement Hunter office.  Determined to get them there quickly, Matt missed the deep flush on his friend's face.  They walked in just in time to see Geoff press a sweet kiss to the growing swell of Gavin's belly.

 

"Love, Burnie's expecting me in his office to discuss my leave once our little boy gets here."

 

Geoff scowled playfully and framed the bulge in his hands.  "First of all I don't see why you need to talk about it already.  You still have a few months to go.  Second of all, this," He kissed the belly again, "is a girl."

 

"Boy," Gavin argued with a grin.  "We could know if you didn't insist on it being a surprise.  Now, help me up and do your job, Love."

 

"Yes, Dear," Geoff said teasingly.  "Send Lindsay in on your way."  

 

"Of course." Once everyone was gathered, Geoff gave them an abbreviated explanation of what they were going to do while they got the camera ready and Geoff scooped up a hat with little scraps of paper in it.

 

Still a little stunned at being included in the tournament, Jeremy listened while Geoff drew names that would decide the order of the game.

 

Matt would face off against Geoff first, and no one was surprised by Geoff's joke that the Omega should throw the game.  Then Ray would destroy Jack, everyone was sure, which would be followed by Ryan and Michael.  Jeremy had always enjoyed watching the interaction between the Mates, and delighted in the opportunity to watch them battle it out.  Then, despite the possibilities having been narrowed down to only two more names, Jeremy heard Geoff call out the very last name from the hat, "Stretch,"and laughed along with everyone else.

 

Inside, though, he agonized over his atypical stature, frustrated that it was being pointed out yet again how unsuitable he was to be anyone's Alpha, much less the often grumpy Omega he felt such a pull for.

 

Fortunately the joke passed quickly and the tournament began.  The humor of Matt and Geoff's so called battle proved to be a good start for the video and as Matt shouted in surprise at his character being devoured by the giant monster, Jeremy couldn't help but be proud of his friend.

 

Ray and Jack faced off, their prolonged battle amusing everyone, ending in Ray's win to no one's surprise.  Team Crazy Mad's fight was, as always, a delight to witness.  To Michael's credit, he made Ryan work for the win.  As Jeremy and Lindsay got set up, Ryan accepted a congratulatory kiss from his Mate.

 

Any nerves Jeremy had quickly dissipated as he determinedly fought Lindsay.  As the round continued, he gained confidence, especially with Matt cheering him on in the background.  By the time he won, Jeremy felt infinitely better.

 

Then Matt faced off against Ray who destroyed him so quickly everyone was left baffled and amazed.  As Jeremy prepared to go against Ryan, he was filled with a sudden desire to avenge Matt's defeat.

 

An opportunity which he was afforded after a fierce struggle.  He and Ray got ready for the final round of the tournament and to his mortification, Jeremy heard his own voice raise up against the noise of the office.  "Matt, I'll get him back for you, buddy.  You shall be avenged."

 

"Sweet," Matt said, sounding genuinely pleased by the declaration.  The teasing for that interaction was surprisingly light all things considered.  Then Jeremy was drawn into the most fierce competition he'd had in a very long while.  Ray's reputation for being an excellent gamer was well earned, but Jeremy felt like he had something to prove now that he'd actually said he was playing in honor of Matt.  His winning would have absolutely no impact on how Matt felt about him.  He knew that.  But it was a matter of pride at that point.  At one point, as Ray blocked his own flying sword giving Jeremy the opportunity to leap over him toward victory, he heard himself shout, "this is for you, Matt!"

 

Then he won and a brief glance toward Matt showed just how proud his friend was.  For a few minutes after the cameras shut off, Ray and Jeremy took the time to get their breath back after the fierce competition.

 

"Ok," Ray decided. "I need to go cuddle something after all that.  Geoff, I'll send Gavin back.  He's probably trying to Kung Shoe Burnie or something."

 

Geoff rolled his eyes with a small smile.  "Either that or he's been kidnapped by the females so they can steal our unborn child to be their young God King."

 

"Excuse you?" Michael demanded playfully.  "I think you're confusing your little urchin with our prince."  He patted the small swell of his belly lightly.  "I carry the Mad King's heir after all."

 

Ryan smirked and caught Michael in a hungry kiss.  "Indeed you do, my beautiful King Consort."

 

Matt appeared at Jeremy's side and held out a hand.  "We should get out of here before the royals start a war and we lowly peasants get caught in the cross fire," he whispered with a mischievous smile.

 

Jeremy's smile was sappy.  He knew that and couldn't possibly get himself to stop no matter how obvious it had to be to his favorite Omega.

 

"Yeah, we need to get back to our office before Joel sends out a search party."  Jeremy took the offered hand and pulled himself to his feet.  Did he imagine the blush dusting Matt' cheeks when instead of pulling his hand away he linked their fingers?  Probably, but he intended to enjoy it while he could as they headed down the hall.  They waved to Ray as they went their separate ways.

 

Ray had a little skip in his step.  He felt a happy rush that always came with a good competition, even when he didn't win.  And he always had that happy, warm feeling whenever he was headed toward one of his Mates.  He could probably squeeze in a good makeout session before he had to head back.  Pleased with the thought, he swung into the office and stopped.

 

There was a strange Omega standing in front of Burnie, delicate hands on his face while he stared up at the Alpha with a loving smile.  And Burnie was smiling gently in return, hands curled tenderly around the Omega's wrists.  It didn't settle well with Ray to see that smile directed at someone other than him or Joel.

 

"Michael," the stranger murmured.  "Sweetie you've gotten so handsome.  And you look so happy."

 

Burnie's smile turned shy almost.  "I am happy."

 

"I take it that means Joel's doing well?"

 

"Yeah, we're both great.  Better than great, even."

 

"I still don't see why you haven't been to visit us.  We all miss you both."

 

"We've been going through some stuff recently." Burnie seemed to catch Ray's scent at the same time the stranger did.

 

He was beautiful, Ray realized with dismay.  Every ounce of confidence that Joel and Burnie had instilled in him the past months was again crushed under a familiar crippling insecurity.  He could never compete with such a lovely Omega.  Closer to Burnie's age than he was, certainly.  But his beauty seemed so ageless.  He felt so plain next to this Omega who seemed to embody everything an Omega was supposed to be.

 

"Michael," the Omega breathed, eyes drinking Ray in as if starved.  "He's darling." Realization lit his face and he whirled back to Burnie with a bright smile.  "Is he-?  Is this the reason you and Joel haven't visited? Does your mother know?"

 

Burnie laughed.  "I haven't told anyone back home, yet.  Joel and I agreed that it was best if he got used to us first before we ambushed him with the entire family."

 

The Omega nodded in understanding.  "That's very true.  Well, I know we raised you better than this.  Make with the introductions."

 

Pride filled Burnie's face as he stepped closer and gently grasped Ray's hand, pulling him forward to wind an arm around his waist in that familiar, wonderful way Ray always loved.  "This is Ray.  He's accepted me and Joel as his Alphas.  We're still working on some details but he's basically stuck with us for life at this point."

 

A so far unnoticed Alpha female in the corner scoffed at that.  Without a word, she stormed out of the room, shoving roughly past Ray.

 

"Sara," The Omega scolded but it went unanswered as the girl disappeared down the hall.

 

Ray looked up at Burnie and saw the sadness there.  "Burnie?"

 

Burnie shook his head.  "Sweetheart, this is Robert.  He's my dad's Mate.  One of them, anyway.  You'll have to ask him how we lured him into the family."

 

"I would warn you against hurting my boy, but I think I'd be wasting my breath."  Robert stepped forward and took Ray's face in his hands just like he had earlier with Burnie.  For a long moment, they simply stared at each other.  Distantly, Ray caught Joel's scent as his other Alpha swung into the room.  He remained silent, though, watching as the Omegas studied one another.  "You love my boys?"

 

Ray flushed.  Somehow, throughout the past months, they had yet to say the words.  It had been alluded to, but never fully acknowledged.  He took a deep breath and leaned into Burnie's arm a little.  "More than anything," he whispered.  He felt Joel's hand grasp his.

 

Robert's face lit up and he tugged Ray into a hug.  "Then welcome to the family, honey."

 

Ray returned the hug, relieved that he was accepted in some fashion by some of his Mate's family.  "So," he said after a deep breath.  "Who was that Alpha who stormed out?"

 

"My sister, Sara," Burnie answered.  "I'm sorry about her, Sweetheart."

 

Joel huffed softly.  "She's always been a little weird about me and Burnie.  Might be a bit much that we've got an Omega now, too."

 

Robert rolled his eyes.  "Yes well, she'll have to get over it."

 

"Not that I'm not loving the surprise visit," Burnie started, "but why are you two here?"

 

"Oh. That. I thought it would be a good idea for Sara to see how much her big brother has accomplished.  She sees how much your father has done with his life, all those Omegas he's helped, but it's a different kind of success than what you've done.  She's lost right now, Michael.  She has no direction, no idea what she wants to do with herself.  I thought if she could see what she could have if she applied herself a little more she might figure out what she wants out of life."

 

Burnie considered that for a moment.  "Ok, so I take it you're staying for a while, then?"

 

"Not too long.  I don't want to interrupt you two courting your darling little Omega.  Just long enough to give Sara a few ideas about her future.  Besides.  My Heat is in a few weeks.  No sense in keeping myself away from my Alpha during that.  But you can be sure I'll be telling your mother about this.  She and Cici will lose their minds."

 

"Hey, that's not fair siccing both of them on me."

 

Robert grinned.  "Well maybe the idea that you two finally found your Mate will make them a little less annoyed that you haven't visited in so long.  For the record, the three of you need to visit soon.  Thanksgiving, maybe?  Unless you have plans with your family, Ray?"

 

"Oh.  Uh, it's usually just me and my mom."

 

"Well, we wouldn't be opposed to having the two of you join us for our admittedly large family gathering.  Besides, we'll have to give you the official Burns Family Welcome at some point.  Poor Joel had to go through it before and he survived.  So you'll be fine."

 

"Robert, jeez, stop scaring my Mate," Burnie huffed with playful annoyance.  "We're still courting which means he can still change his mind."

 

The response Robert gave to that was a simple raised eyebrow and Burnie ducked his head, sufficiently chastised.  "If you think the family would scare him off, you wouldn't have courted him in the first place.  Same as every other Omega who has shown interest in either of you.  Besides, this is the first one I've actually liked." Robert focused on Ray.  "Doing anything right now?"

 

"Uh, no, not for a little while.  Why?"

 

"Because I'd like a chance to talk to you."  Robert grinned and made a vague gesture.  "Go on and give them the kisses they want and we'll go have a little Omega time."

 

Conscious of Robert's intense gaze, Ray kissed both of his Alphas tentatively.  That done, Robert linked his arm through Ray's and grinned.  "Joel, get back to work, I'll find you later.  As for you, Michael, you need to go find your sister.  Long past time you talked to her about all of this."

 

"Ok, so....where to?" Ray asked as Robert pulled him from the room.

 

"Well, I've never been here before today, so why not take me on a tour?  We can talk while we walk."

 

"Yeah, ok.  I can do that."

 

About halfway through the tour, they took a break in the kitchen, sipping drinks Ray dug out of the fridge for them.  Robert studied Ray.  The younger Omega seemed far more relaxed than he had at first.  "I was bonded against my will only a few months after I presented," he said abruptly.  "The Alpha who courted me was incredibly charming at first.  Older, handsome, successful.  I was amazed that he would give attention to a young, inexperienced pup like me.  Turns out that was exactly why he was interested.  Easy trophy to add to his collection. I was his fourth Omega.  He courted me for two weeks before he convinced me to go on a private date.  That's when he claimed me."

 

"Robert, I-"

 

"I'm telling you this, because I think you need to hear this from someone who was hurt like you were.  No one told me," he assured the young Omega hurriedly.  "But having been a victim myself, I can tell.  You weren't knotted."

 

"No," Ray confirmed.

 

"Then you were very lucky.  That Alpha kept me for five years before it became clear that he would be unable to breed me.  Not for lack of trying, mind you.  He cut me loose because I was defective.  Useless since all of his other Omega were able to provide him with offspring as was their duty.  I ended up in a shelter for abandoned Omegas.  Run by Michael's parents.  I fell instantly in love with David and Sharron and I became best friends immediately.  Michael was a sweet, unpresented little thing back then.  I always knew he would be an Alpha just from the way he insisted on taking care of me while I recovered from having my unwanted bond forcibly severed.  Next thing I know, I'm living on my own for the first time, but I kept coming back.  I used the excuse that I missed Michael, but Sharron knew and before I knew what was happening, I was being courted again at Sharron's insistence.  She helped me get ready for dates, gave me little tidbits of information about David so I could make the best impression I could.  All the while, Michael continued to be my little guardian.  Bonding with David was unlike anything I'd ever been through.  It was incredible.  Still is.  I caught immediately and had Sara before I'd even been bonded with David for a year."

 

That surprised Ray.  "How did you make it five years without being bred by the other Alpha but Burnie's dad did it right off?"

 

"I'm not entirely sure.  I think I was so opposed to the bond that I somehow kept myself from catching.  With David it was different.  Anyway, I didn't mean to go into all of that.  I just wanted you to know that I understand if you're still hurting over your own experience.  And despite the fact that we've only just met, I do adore you and I want to see you happy with my boys.  Anything I can do to assure that is my goal here.  If you need to talk, don't hesitate to ask.  I know from experience that it's easier to discuss it with someone who's been through it themselves.  And despite how much it hurts, talking about it does help."

 

Ray offered a weak smile and slid his hand into Robert's.  "Thanks."

 

Before anything else could be said, Jeremy and Matt wandered in, giggling about something.  Ray assumed it had something to do with whatever they'd recorded with Joel and Adam.  Matt dropped into a seat while Jeremy rummaged around, emerging victoriously with drinks for both of them.  He claimed the seat next to his friend who took the offered drink with a sweet smile.

 

Robert watched the interaction with sharp interest.

 

"Who's your friend, Ray?" Matt asked.

 

"Oh, right.  This is Robert.  Robert, this is Jeremy and Matt.  Guys Robert is Burnie's...uh..."

 

"Dad, for lack of better term," Robert supplied.  "Michael's father is my Mate."

 

"Ok, weird to hear Burnie called Michael, but it's nice to meet you," Matt said.

 

"And you.  I've met a lot of people today.  I must say, this office is teeming with young love, and I am a romantic at heart.  I can't resist a blooming relationship.  How long have you two been courting?"

 

Matt's face flushed brilliantly while Jeremy scrambled to set the record straight, terrified of how Matt would react to someone picking up on his feelings.  "We're not," he said hurriedly.

 

Silence fell around them so thoroughly that Matt was sure the others could hear his heart breaking.  "We're not?" he asked softly, mortified when he heard his voice wobble a little.  As Jeremy turned toward him in surprise, Matt felt tears well up.  It had been stupid of him to assume that Jeremy's attentions were an attempt at courting.

 

"Matt?" Jeremy breathed.

 

"Jesus, ok.  So I'm a fucking idiot for thinking you wanted me as more than a friend. I'm just gonna go kill myself now."  Before anyone could react, Matt darted from the room.

 

"I'm so sorry," Robert apologized hurriedly.  "I had no idea.  I just assumed...you two are so sweet together that..."

 

"Fuck, I need to go fix this."  Robert and Ray watched him hurry after his friend.

 

"I honestly thought they were courting."

 

Ray rolled his eyes.  "They should be, honestly.  The entire Pack knows how those two feel about each other.  Geoff and Ryan have even been coaching Jeremy on the best way to court someone like a gentleman."

 

"Well," Robert decided.  "I hope I didn't ruin anything for them."

 

"Nah, they'll be fine."

 

***

 

Matt ended up in the Achievement Hunter office.  Everyone was working quietly on their own projects and didn't even glance up when he entered.  Assured that he wouldn't get in the way, but surrounded by the comforting scents of his Pack, he curled up in a ball on the couch and let himself cry quietly.  Ryan and Jack noticed at the same time.

 

One second, Matt was sniffling softly into a pillow, the next he was sandwiched by Team Same Voice.

 

"What happened?" Jack demanded.

 

"Jeremy...I thought...I was wrong.  He doesn't want to court me."

 

Geoff appeared, crouched in front of him.  He took Matt's hands in his.  "Explain."

 

"I thought he was courting me, you know?  The way he treats me, and...I thought I saw looks and stuff but I was wrong.  One of Burnie's dads.  He's visiting.  Asked us how long we've been courting.  Jeremy couldn't deny it fast enough.  Fucking...I'm so goddamn stupid."

 

"Matt..."  Jeremy sounded destroyed.  He stood in the doorway, trembling.  "Guys, can we have a sec?"

 

Geoff ushered everyone out of the room, but he hovered in the open doorway protectively.  Sure, he knew for a fact that it was just a case of miscommunication, but two of his Pack mates were hurting and no force on earth could keep him from making sure it stopped.

 

Matt refused to look up at Jeremy.  Instead he stared hard at his shoes, arms crossed protectively over his chest.  A tiny part of him that wasn't wallowing in heartbreak pointed out that he looked terrible with his bloodshot eyes, mussed hair and splotching skin.  He never had been a pretty crier. Never had really been pretty for that matter.  Especially not compared to the other Omegas in the Pack.  Which just confirmed how stupid he'd been to assume that Jeremy would pick him out of all the other available Omegas in the office.

 

As if he could hear Matt's thoughts, Jeremy's breath hitched.  "Matt...baby, no."  Matt's view of his shoes was obstructed when Jeremy crouched in front of him.  Warm, broad hands engulfed his, gently tugging until his arms uncrossed.  "Listen to me.  I never, ever wanted to make you cry.  I want to court you so bad it hurts.  I never thought you would want me to.  I shouldn't even be an Alpha.  You deserve so much better than short, weak shit like me."

 

"What the actual fuck?  Jerem, you're fucking insane if you think you're not a good Alpha.  Seriously.  Literally no one thinks your status is a mistake."  They stared at each other and despite what Jeremy had said, Matt still felt tears escaping his eyes.  "You, uh.  You really mean that?"

 

"What? About wanting to court you?  Fuck yeah.  I wanted to before we even met, idiot."

 

"So, were you then?"

 

"Courting you? Honestly, I probably was without meaning to.  But...I think we both fucked up in this communication thing."  Jeremy released Matt's hands and instead cupped his cheeks.  "Matt, I would be honored if you would consent to my courtship."

 

"So fucking cheesy."

 

Jeremy's eyes crinkled in a smile as he tenderly wiped away a few more tears.  "That a yes?"

 

"Of course.  Jesus, you damn well better step up your game now that it's official.  I'm talking big time making it up to me, Dooley."

 

"Well, I don't mean to _Bragg_ , but I've been getting some awesome pointers."

 

"Shut the fuck up."

  
"Gladly."  Jeremy stood abruptly and leaned in with one knee braced on the couch to taste the grin on Matt's lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it. The Jerematt is officially confirmed! And also a little splash of Adam/Monty (ship name anyone??) just because. No plans to really elaborate on that, but it'll pop up occasionaly. Extra special thanks to JewelFlower for being the world's most patient and supportive (awesome, incredible, terriffic, lovely) beta. Thank you love! you've been super helpful with more than just my writing! <3 Anyway, I'm in the process of working on the next chapter. And I'm running out of ideas for things. Prompts are not only welcome, but also encouraged. Let me know what you want to see! Things to look forward to are Robert mentoring several Omegas (because he's freaking adorable and I love my little OC), more baby interludes, and maybe even some Lunacross. As always, I live for comments, criticism, cookies (my c's of coice) and until next time, bless your darling hearts!


	17. Stuck In a Rut

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Robert saves the day again, someone loses their mind and someone else gets what he's wanted for a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woohoo!! It's not quite as soon as promised, but it also didn't take six months again, so win!! Enjoy, darlings. <3

Joel adored Robert. Always had. He had been the first and most supportive of all Burnie's relatives. Unfortunately, his daughter was the least supportive.

 

Sara had always had an issue with Joel. He wasn't quite sure exactly what that issue was. Maybe it was because he'd taken away her older brother's attention when she was still so young. Maybe she really was just that disgusted by the idea that two Alphas could be happy together. Whatever the reason, she'd decided to hate Ray as well.

 

Burnie seemed to think that she was just jealous for whatever reason, but he'd never been able to think badly of any of his siblings. Joel, on the other hand, could see the burning hatred in her eyes whenever she looked at Joel or Ray. Her darling big brother was breaking rules with his relationship. First another Alpha, now the unthinkable: an Omega half their age on top of it all.

 

As a result, Joel spent a lot more time than was good for his sanity following Ray around to make sure he was never alone if he knew Sara was in the building. Most of the time, Ray was tucked safely in the Achievement Hunter office, and when he wasn't, it seemed Robert had decided that Ray was to be his little pet Omega whom needed every second of mentoring he could spare. It was adorable to watch them interact.

 

Ray's mother, they all knew, was a Beta and his father a somewhat sorry excuse for an Alpha.  Ray had never had anyone to really teach him Omega things before, or to explain things he'd always found confusing. Robert had latched onto that knowledge and swept Ray into a cocoon of guidance and affection that the younger Omega seemed perfectly content to burrow into.

 

After the first day, Robert seemed to accidentally collect Omegas around him. Matt, elated to finally have the Alpha he'd wanted for so long, latched onto the older Omega, practically in tears at how happy he was and grateful for the accidental shove Robert had provided.

 

Then Kerry became another member of the flock a few days later when he emerged from his office, bleary eyed and caffeine deprived. Robert had invited him to join their little group in the kitchen and the rest was history. Gavin and Michael, though neither really required such mentoring, joined in next and glowed at the mess of compliments and cooing that Robert became when he saw their bellies. Most of the other office Omegas joined only sporadically, but it was easy to see that Robert was delighted by the apparent confidence that he had most, if not all the answers.

 

And because he had become unofficial Omega mentor, it was Robert who first noticed the odd behavior of one of the Rooster Teeth employees.

 

Kerry, Michael, Monty and Gavin were eating lunch with Robert. Monty and Kerry giggled at the food choices their pregnant friends were devouring. To their delight, Robert kept providing even more disgusting concoctions he'd craved during his several pregnancies. While they gagged at the increasingly gross suggestion, Michael and Gavin made plans to send their Mates out for the ones that sounded heavenly to them.

 

A low growl caught Robert's attention and he glanced over to see Miles digging through the fridge.  He emerged with a bottle of water and downed it almost desperately. Once he was done, he leaned on the counter, expression dark. In the week that Robert had been there, he'd never seen Miles look anything other than happy or, if he'd worked late, mildly exhausted.

 

Gavin's squeal when Michael tried to shove a piece of bread soaked in honey under his nose distracted him and when he looked back, Miles had retreated to his office again.

 

The next morning it seemed far worse. It wasn't until Robert was close enough to see the glazed, almost sleepy expression in Miles' eyes that he understood what was happening. Frantic, he darted to Burnie's office and gave only a cursory knock as he threw the door open. The fact that Ray was perched in Burnie's lap, kissing him hungrily didn't matter. Nor did the blushes that spread across both faces.

 

"We have a huge problem," Robert began, pacing nervously. Even as a mated Omega, the idea sent his frazzled nerves into overdrive. It reminded him of how he felt around his first Mate.  "A huge problem. Not only for the Omegas, but all the Alphas, too."

 

Concerned, Burnie gently nudged Ray off his lap and stood. "What's going on?"

 

"I think...I'm pretty sure Miles is going into Rut."

 

Stunned, the two stared at him. "Miles?" Ray squeaked out. "He doesn't have a Mate."

 

"I know. That's why it's such a problem. Usually, if an Alpha goes into Rut, he fixates on the Omega that's his. If he doesn't have one, he could fixate on anyone. That could be very dangerous for whoever he chooses. And if he chooses someone who is mated? Or being courted? The other Alpha could protest and there could be injuries or worse."

 

"Oh, shit. We need to get him home then. Away from anyone he could hurt."

 

Burnie started toward the door but Robert grabbed at him frantically. "No! He's already far enough gone that the scent of another Alpha so close could be a challenge."

 

Ray nodded. "I'll get Jack," he said and darted down the hall. A few minutes later, Jack appeared, worry pouring from him.

 

"Ray explained what's happening. I never thought this would happen here. Ruts are really rare. What do you need me to do?"

 

"You're a Beta," Robert said. "That means it's safest for you to coax him into going home until the Rut runs its course."

 

"I figured as much. Do you have any advice? I've never seen anyone in a proper Rut before."

 

"Move slowly, if he challenges, show submission. Do not look him in the eye, keep your voice calm and quiet."

 

"Got it." Nervously, Jack glanced back out the door. "Where is he right now?"

 

"I last saw him in the kitchen a few minutes ago."

 

"Ok." With a fortifying breath, Jack headed for the kitchen. He froze when he saw that Miles had Kerry pinned to the counter, face buried in the Omega's neck, inhaling deeply.

 

Kerry seemed confused, but not afraid. They had scented before, but nothing like that.

 

"Miles?" Jack called softly, stopping what he hoped was a far enough distance away.

 

Apparently not. Miles whirled around, keeping himself between Kerry and Jack. He had a wild look in his eyes and his normally smiling face was twisted into a fierce snarl. "Mine!" he growled.

 

Jack was stunned. Seeing the typically sweet and gentle Alpha in such a state was terrifying. He looked like a wild animal ready to strike. "Hey, it's ok. I'm not going to try and take him from you."

 

Miles eyed him suspiciously, though he did relax his stance a little. "Mine," he said again. He reached back blindly and curled a hand around one of Kerry's wrists. The little Omega's eyes were wide as he seemed to realize what was happening. As far as he knew, Miles had never seen him as anything other than a best friend and co-worker. Maybe...maybe his chances weren't quite as slim as he'd thought, if this was any indication.

 

"I know," Jack assured Miles softly. "Miles you're not feeling well right now. I think it would be best if you went home. I can take you. And when you're feeling better you can come back." He took a single, uneasy step toward them, trying to figure out how to get Kerry away before he was hurt. He tried to think back to the classes he'd had to take, just like everyone else no matter their caste, about the Rut. It was a danger to everyone and thankfully only happened rarely.

 

A low growl froze Jack in place again. "Back. The _fuck_. Off." Jack hastily retreated several steps.  Then he watched in amazement as Kerry brushed his free hand across the back of Miles' neck.  The reaction was instantaneous. The Alpha melted like putty and turned to curl back around Kerry possessively.

 

"He's not trying to hurt me," Kerry assured Miles and received a deep, rumbling purr in response.  "He just wants to make sure you don't accidentally hurt anyone. Let's get you home, ok?"

 

When Kerry tried to pull back, Miles' arms tightened.  "You're coming with?" It came out more like a demand than a request.

 

"Of course. Jack?"

 

"Yeah?"

 

"Can you please make sure the halls are clear so I can get him to my car?"

 

"Kerry, are...are you sure about this? He's in Rut."

 

"I know. I remember what they say to do in this situation. I mean, I never expected that I'd be the fixation, like, ever, but I paid attention in class. I'll be careful and if anything happens, I'll call."

 

Jack hesitated a second more, then he nodded. "If you're sure."

 

"I am." He rolled his eyes when Miles pressed his face into Kerry's neck again. "I get that he's in Rut and that's super dangerous for everyone, but I trust him not to hurt me."

 

"Ok. I'll be right back." Jack disappeared down the hall and Kerry settled in for the moment.

 

"Where's Miles?" Burnie demanded.

 

Jack sighed and popped his head into an office to warn everyone to stay put for a while. The word Rut had a strong effect and no one so much as moved their chairs. After firmly closing the door, Jack sighed again. "He's fixated on Kerry."

 

Silence answered him. While Burnie struggled for a response, Jack warned the next room and closed their door tightly as well. "Kerry?" Burnie finally asked.

 

"Yes. Honestly, I can't say I'm surprised by that. Miles has always been really protective of Kerry, especially since the incident with that intern. It's not so out of the blue that he'd choose Kerry. I mean, it's a shock that he went into Rut at all, but...well, I think this is probably the best outcome we can hope for. And Kerry's agreed to take Miles home and help him through it."

 

"Fuck."

 

"My sentiments exactly. I really hope nothing happens that either of them regrets. Kerry's in his right mind, yes, but Miles is going to come out of this with no memories. We could end up with an Alpha who hates himself and an Omega with a broken heart. Or worse, Kerry could end up hurt and Miles would never forgive himself."

 

"Jack..."

 

The Beta waved Burnie's concern away. He'd always been overly concerned about the wellbeing of his Pack. Caiti always told him he worried too much. That he needed to have faith that things would work out. Usually, he could do that. This time, however, with the unpredictability of a Rut, he found he couldn't shake the worry. "You should head back to your office. I'll let you know when they're gone."

 

Burnie hesitated, eyeing the suddenly ragged appearance of his friend, but nodded. "Be careful.  He could still attack before they leave."

 

"I know." Assured of the clear path, Jack returned to the kitchen. "Fuck," he growled. Miles looked about two seconds away from attacking Lindsay. As an Alpha, she looked prepared to fight back. And as an Alpha, she recognized the signs of Rut. She had to, since Alphas were always in the most danger when faced with another Alpha in Rut.

 

Jack moved without thought, placing himself between the Alphas, hoping that his muted scent would calm both of them and separate their scents enough to get Lindsay away unscathed. At the same time, Kerry darted in front of Miles and pulled his face back into the cradle of his neck. Combined, Lindsay's scent was drowned out enough for Jack to shove her toward safety. "Get out," Jack demanded quickly and to her credit, Lindsay didn't hesitate. She darted down another hall and out of sight.

 

When he turned back to Kerry and Miles, his face flushed at the sight of Miles lapping at Kerry's scent gland. The Omega didn't seem to be faring much better if the startled squeak was anything to go by. "Maybe...maybe I should drive you guys back to one of your apartments?" Jack suggested.

 

Kerry shook his head. "Probably not a good idea. I'm taking him back to my place though, so you guys know where we'll be." Awkwardly, Kerry drew Miles down the cleared hall and toward the parking lot.

 

After a few minutes of staring down the empty hallway, Jack forced himself to move.  He entered the Achievement Hunter office to the sight of all his closest friends cuddling in worry.  Ray was squashed protectively between his Alphas.  Right in the middle of the floor Ryan, Geoff and Jeremy sat facing each other, their Omegas in their laps.  Geoff and Ryan had possessive hands over their Mates’ stomachs while Matt had curled into a surprisingly small ball in Jeremy’s arms, his lanky frame somehow dwarfed by the Alpha for once.

 

The best sight of all to Jack’s mind was that of his own Mate and wife cuddled up in his chair with Robert.  As soon as Robert spotted him, he gently nudged Caiti up and toward Jack while he moved to the couch to tuck himself into Joel’s side.

 

Jack reclaimed his seat with Caiti perched in his lap.  All eyes fell on him expectantly.

 

“Kerry said he’s taking Miles to his apartment.  If anything happens, we’ll know where to find them.”

 

“We live closest to Kerry,” Gavin said softly.

 

“Which is for the best,” Geoff decided.  “I’ll be the one to handle it if anything goes wrong.”  His tone left no room for argument.

 

Ryan did his best, though.  “I think it would be best if you had some backup if it came to that.  Michael and I live close by, too.”

 

After a brief staring contest, Geoff reluctantly nodded his consent.  “Ok, but only if it really calls for it.”  Silence filled the room again.

 

“I really hope Kerry knows what he’s getting into,” Ray murmured.

 

Burnie sighed and nuzzled Ray’s neck.  “Me, too, Sweetheart.  Me, too.”

 

***

 

Getting Miles out of Rooster Teeth headquarters without incident felt like a small miracle. Getting him into his apartment building, up several flights of stairs and into his apartment without running into anyone felt like an even bigger one. Especially with Miles crowded so closely to him that it felt like they would somehow absorb into one another. After briefly fumbling with his keys, he got them inside and closed and locked the door.

 

He had barely finished with his task when Miles spun him around and pinned him to the door. It was so damn hard concentrating on anything with Miles so close. His scent, heightened and sharpened by the Rut swirled around them and filled Kerry to the brim. The normally calming scent of lavender and bergamot flooded even the deepest, most secret parts of Kerry and left his mind pleasantly fuzzy.

 

Then Miles dragged his nose slowly up Kerry’s neck as if to take in every subtle variance in his clover and honeysuckle scent. Hands tightened slightly on his hips and he shuddered as impossibly warm breath ghosted over his collarbone.

 

“Mine,” Miles breathed before taking another deep breath. “Wanted you for so damn long.”

 

Kerry’s breath caught in his throat as he absorbed the confession.  “You’re-” he cut off in with a soft gasp as Miles nipped lightly at his throat. “You’re only saying that because of the Rut,” he pointed out, unable to keep the sadness out of his voice.

 

“No.” There was an unfamiliar darkness in Miles’ voice as he purred against Kerry’s skin. “Always. Always want you. Since we met, knew I wanted you to be mine. And now you are.”

 

“Miles, I…” The Alpha lifted his head and stared at Kerry. To Kerry’s surprise, he saw Miles’ eyes clear a little and it seemed as if he was struggling against himself.

 

“Do you want this?” Miles demanded. “Me?”

 

There was no hesitation for Kerry. He immediately nodded. “Yes. I always have.”

 

That darkness was back but instead of being afraid, all Kerry felt was a thrill of anticipation. Any other time, he had hoped that if by some miracle Miles wanted him, their first time together would be a slow, patient, sweet coupling. The look Miles pinned him with then left him nearly shaking with desire at the expectation of fierce passion.

 

“You’re mine,” Miles growled. “I’m going to knot you and mark you and every other Alpha will fucking know that you’re mine.”

 

For a brief second, Kerry wondered if it would be the same as mating when an Omega was in heat. If by mating with Miles in Rut, they would somehow water down what bond they would have. While Miles attacked his neck with sharp nips and soothing licks, he struggled to remember if it had been mentioned in the required classes. Then Miles latched onto a particularly sensitive bit of skin and sucked hard and he was gone.

 

Everything narrowed down to the small space they’d created. He spared a brief thought toward how patient and thorough Miles was being. He had expected a frantic pace. But Miles seemed content to take his time mapping out the skin of his throat. When he found another sensitive spot, Kerry’s knees buckled and only Miles’ weight against him kept him from tumbling to the floor in a heap of embarrassment.  His soft sound of pleasure was echoed by a dark chuckle from Miles.

 

“Say it,” Miles whispered, lips dragging slowly but steadily toward Kerry’s.

 

Confused, all Kerry could manage was a dazed, “Huh?”

 

“ _Say_. _It_.” Again that dark growl that shoved Kerry further into his arousal.  “Tell me you’re mine. Say it.”

 

“Oh, fuck,” Kerry breathed. He felt the gust of Miles’ rapid breathing against his mouth, but not the desired feeling of lips on lips. After a moment of anticipation, he forced his heavy eyes opened, sparing only the briefest of thoughts to wonder when they’d closed, and saw Miles staring at him fiercely. He seemed oddly content to hold that position until he got the desired answer.

 

His voice was a silky purr when he spoke again. “Say it.” The softest of encouragement. “Tell me, Kerry. Tell me you want to be mine.”

 

“Oh, Jesus, yes. Fucking-I’m yours Miles. I’ve _always_ been yours. I need you to claim me so fucking much. I’ve never wanted anything so much in my life.” He moved to keep going, keep struggling to convince Miles that he’d never wanted another Alpha-that he never would want another Alpha. But a surprisingly gentle mouth covered his and instead of a continued flow of reassurances, only a broken moan escaped from Kerry.

 

***

 

He woke up in stages. It sort of felt like a hangover, only worse. His head felt heavy and filled with cotton all at once. His mouth was dry, the sort of dry that was the result of too much sleep and not enough water. There was a strange sense of something being off. Different in his mind. Like a new, welcome weight in his consciousness. A soft sigh drew his attention to the fact that he was not alone in his bed.

 

A sharp breath in brought his attention to the fact that this was not his bed. Oh, sure, it smelt heavily of him, and the saturation of his scent in the fabric around him had a terrible realization slowly filling him. But it wasn’t his bed. Wasn’t his room or his apartment.

 

Slowly, reluctantly he opened his eyes to see a very familiar bedspread. As if the visual opened the floodgates, he found himself overwhelmed by honeysuckle and clover. It filled him to the brim and his eyes slid closed as he just took a few deep breaths. Finally, he turned his head, wondering if perhaps they had gotten drunk and one of them had finally made a move. The sweet anticipation of that died the instant he saw the scattering of deep bruises all over Kerry’s back.

 

The soft stretch of his neck was covered in harsh bites and there was a distinct hand shaped bruise marring Kerry’s hip. Sick realization crashed through Miles and he felt tears of regret and remorse fill his eyes. Without meaning to, he reached out to touch the bruise on Kerry’s hip, but he found himself unable to touch, so his hand hovered awkwardly in the air between them.

 

Kerry twitched lightly in his sleep before settling again and in that moment, Miles felt a soft feeling of calm that wasn’t his own.

 

Horrified, Miles eased back and carefully extracted himself from the tangle of sheets. The evidence was everywhere. The scattered and torn clothing, the bruises and bites littering Kerry’s skin, even the way he was between Kerry and the door, as if to ensure he wouldn’t escape.

 

He clamped down on any more emotions when Kerry shifted in his sleep again, this time turning enough for Miles to see his furrowed brow. As quickly and as quietly as he could, Miles dressed, forced to resort to stealing one of Kerry’s shirts when he found that his was far too mangled to ever be used again.

  
Then he ran.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so mean.... XD Not to worry though. I'm super excited about this bit so it's already in the works and I expect it to be posted soon. Next on my list Ayer that is a highly anticipated (at least for me) event. Again if you guys want to see anything specific let me know and I'll do my best. Hit me up here or on my tumblr of the same name. As always, until next time, bless your darling hearts!! <3


	18. Slow and Steady

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which things are cleared up, the pack enjoys feels and Kerry shows that bit of steel in his spine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was so much fun to write!! That is all.

Ryan and Michael were over, at Gavin’s request, of course. He was worried about an Omega in his pack and only the presence of another Omega, particularly another mid pregnancy, would soothe him. As much as it pained Geoff, he wasn’t always what his Mate needed.

 

So there they were, both Omegas snuggled up in a makeshift nest contorted around each other in such a way that they could both feel their own and each other’s little ones move while still playing some mindless game that Geoff had lost track of nearly a half hour before. Deprived of their Mates, Geoff and Ryan scented quietly while discussing their shared concerns in low tones.

 

Kerry had already had to face a bad situation with an Alpha he hadn’t even trusted. Now here he was, willingly placed in danger to protect the rest of the pack from potential danger of an Alpha in Rut. One who normally couldn’t even raise his voice in true anger.

 

Ryan seemed to sense just how upset Geoff was over everything. If it wasn’t one of his own Alphas, a member of his pack that he very much approved of, he never would have even considered letting Kerry do what he did. And on top of everything, Kerry was his, too. One of his sweetest tempered Omegas who he had allowed to be put in danger. Sure, Kerry was an adult capable of making his own decisions, but Geoff felt responsible for him. Especially with the knowledge of how he’d allowed Kerry to be hurt before.

 

“You’re not responsible for all of us,” Ryan murmured gently, bussing his nose gently against Geoff’s chin. “Kerry made this decision. And we all know how long those two have been eyeing each other.”

 

“But-”

 

“No,” Ryan interrupted firmly. “I understand that Miles is in Rut. He’s got little, if any, control over himself. But I believe with everything that I am that he’s incapable of hurting Kerry even in his current state. This pack that you’ve built, we all seem to find that one person we’re made for. You, me, Burnie and Joel, now Jeremy and Adam, or so I’ve heard.  You’ve basically brought our Omegas to us on silver platters and to our outstanding luck, they’ve all accepted us as theirs. This isn’t the way I imagined it happening for Miles and Kerry, but you have to admit. It was bound to happen for them sooner or later.”

 

“It _shouldn’t_ have been like this,” Geoff whispered. “This could fuck everything for them. You know as well as I do how fucking rare Ruts are. Have you ever heard of anyone bonding while in Rut?  Because I sure as hell haven’t. And if it’s anything like bonding during Heats…”

 

Ryan nodded, nuzzling against Geoff so his hair brushed under Geoff’s nose. It was a small hope that his scent would soothe the pack Alpha, but it was a hope he clung to. Because he was just as worried about that as Geoff was and the more agitated Geoff became, the less Ryan was able to keep his own cool.

 

Geoff opened his mouth to say more, but a harsh and frantic pounding at the door interrupted him. The Alphas exchanged looks before scrambling off the couch, only to end up tangled in a heap on the floor in their haste. Geoff squirmed around and freed himself from Ryan, taking off before he was even fully upright, hands pushing off the ground in aid as if taking off in a track meet. Ryan was hot on his tail, though he glanced at Michael and Gavin quickly to make sure they didn’t get hurt in their own untangling.

 

Geoff threw open the door and immediately stumbled back when Miles collapsed into his arms. “Fuck,” Geoff growled, gathering Miles close and dragging him across the threshold. Ryan was quick to shut the door behind them, soothing hands finding a place on Miles’ back. “Shit, Miles, are you ok?”

 

Hysterical sobbing was the only answer he got.

 

“Miles, you need to calm down,” Ryan urged gently. “Deep breaths.  Slow down your breathing.” He continued to murmur the same instructions while Miles sobbed into Geoff’s chest. Little by little, the cries became less violent and soon Miles was reduced to whimpering and soft hiccups.

 

“Better?” Geoff asked into Miles’ hair.

 

Miles opened his mouth to answer and all he managed was a squeak of sorts. He cleared his throat and tried again. “No,” he managed. “I don’t...I…”

 

“What do you remember, Miles?” Ryan prompted.

 

“Nothing.”

 

“What’s the last thing you remember?”

 

Miles thought hard. “I remember...talking to Kerry about a script. Then I left the room to get something and...the next thing I remember is waking up in Kerry’s bed. He’s...Oh, Jesus Geoff, he’s fucking covered in bruises and bite marks and...I fucked up. I fucked up so bad, Geoff.  What do I do? Oh, God, how will he ever be able to forgive me?”

 

“What happened? How did you fuck up?”

 

“I knotted him, Geoff. I could feel...I could feel him, but it was...far away.  I don’t know what to do.”

 

Geoff was grateful that Miles still had his face pressed into his chest so he didn’t see the way Geoff paled.  “Was Kerry ok when you left?”

 

“He-” Miles swallowed. “He was still asleep.”

 

Geoff sighed. As if on cue, a phone rang. Miles nearly jumped out of his skin and scrambled to pull it from his pocket. He swallowed hard when he saw the display.

 

“Kerry,” he said. He stared hard at the phone, terrified to do anything. When it stopped ringing, he shut it off and threw it across the room. “I fucked up!” he wailed then promptly collapsed to the ground.

 

“Ok,” Geoff said gently. “Michael, Gavin, take Miles in and get him in the nest.”

 

The Omegas nodded and carefully gathered the sobbing mess of an Alpha from the ground. They pulled him into the living room. When Ryan moved to follow, Geoff caught his arm.

 

“Hang on a sec. I’m going to Kerry’s. I need to see how bad it is and if Kerry’s as bad as Miles seems to think, he’ll need someone to take him to the hospital. I want you here keeping an eye on our boys, ok? Keep them as calm as possible, get Miles to settle down enough to see if he can remember anything. I’ll call later to check up on you guys and let you know how Kerry is.”

 

“Ok,” Ryan agreed. “We’ll be ok here. You go make sure Kerry’s safe.”

 

He watched Geoff snatch up his keys and dart out the door. A second later, he popped back in and added, “Tell Gavin I love him, ok? And I’ll treat him special tonight.” He offered a saucy wink before disappearing.

 

Ryan rolled his eyes before venturing into the living room. Gavin and Michael had Miles sandwiched between them in their messy nest, and they’d left room for him.

 

Once Ryan was curled around all three of them, Gavin gave Ryan a knowing look. Ryan knew that Gavin already knew where his Mate had gone. “Geoff said he loves you and he has something special planned for you for tonight.”

 

Pleased with the knowledge, Gavin smiled and nuzzled his nose into Miles’ shoulder. “Don’t worry, Miles,” he murmured. “Geoff is going to make sure Kerry is ok.”

 

***

 

Geoff knocked on the door with only a small prayer that Kerry was well enough to answer. He didn’t have to worry long. The door flew open to reveal an incredibly frazzled Omega, which almost immediately became a very sad Omega. “Oh,” Kerry whispered. Then his big eyes filled with tears and his lower lip wobbled.

 

“Shit,” Geoff murmured as he gathered the distraught Omega into his arms.

 

“Why did he leave?” Kerry whimpered. “Where did he go?”

 

“He’s at my place with Gavin, Ryan and Michael. Kerry, before I answer any more questions, I have to know if you need a doctor.”

 

Startled, Kerry jerked back and stared up at Geoff. He scowled and trudged into the apartment, leaving Geoff to close the door and follow. “How is that even a question? You’ve talked to Miles, you should know what he knows.”

 

“That’s just it,” Geoff explained. “He doesn’t remember a damn thing. He said he remembers talking to you about a script, then waking up in your bed. He can’t remember a single thing that happened during his Rut.”

 

“None of it?”

 

“None of it. So I’ll ask again. Do you need a doctor?”

 

Kerry considered the information for a moment, slowly recalling the memory blackout section of the required class. Finally he shook his head. “No.”

 

“Miles said you were covered in bruises and bites.”

 

Kerry flushed. “All of which were very welcome.” Kerry sat down on the couch and hugged his knees to his chest. “I don’t need a doctor.” He sniffled and buried his face in his knees. “I just need my Alpha.”

 

“That’s another thing. He said...he knotted you?”

 

The flush on Kerry’s cheeks was so vivid he couldn’t hide it around his knees. He nodded.

 

“He also said…” Geoff sighed and sat next to Kerry, one hand resting gently in the middle of his back. “He said it’s...weak.”

 

“The fuck?” Kerry’s head jerked up and he stared at Geoff with possibly the most offended look the Alpha had ever seen. “Weak? He said it was _weak_?”  

 

***

 

“He’s going to hate me for the rest of his life,” Miles pointed out dully. “I ruined any chance he has of a deep bond because he’s too sweet to leave and find someone else. And I can’t...I can’t bear to let him go.”

 

Michael hummed thoughtfully. “Ok, so you said he was asleep when you left? And that the bond felt weak?”

 

Miles nodded pitifully. Over his head, Michael and Ryan exchanged looks of sudden understanding. “I think I might know what happened,” Ryan offered.

 

Miles’ head snapped up so quickly that he would have smacked into Gavin’s nose if the Omega hadn’t jerked back in response. “You do?”

 

“I have trouble sleeping a lot,” Ryan began. “Michael doesn’t. Especially now. Carrying our little one tires him out a lot.”

 

“Dude, if I could, I’d do nothing but eat, sleep and ride Ryan.”

 

Gavin squealed, nose scrunched up. “ _Michael_! That’s dirty!” Ryan ignored his Mate’s teasing of Gavin.

 

“Point is,” Ryan continued, “it’s not unusual at all for a bond to feel muted if one is asleep. In fact, it’s only during really intense dreams that you would feel anything significant over the bond.”

 

For a long moment, Miles considered the information. “So...so it’s possible I didn’t fuck everything up?”

 

“Probable, in fact.”

 

***

 

“I’m telling you,” Kerry fumed. “Our bond isn’t weak. Miles might not remember what happened, but I was very aware of the fact that I felt _everything_ that he did.” He paused. “Vividly.”

 

Geoff sat back and absorbed everything Kerry had told him. “Ok.” He nodded. “Ok. So. You don’t need a doctor and your bond is fully functional and strong.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Cool. So what happened? Was he any good? Did he rock your world?”

 

Kerry buried his burning face in his hands even as he laughed. “Geoff, holy shit. How is that any of your business?”

 

“I’m Pack Alpha. Everything that has to do with the wellbeing and happiness of my Omegas is my business.” He offered a lazy smile and sat back, tugging Kerry into his lap. “So?”

 

For a long moment, Kerry battled against his embarrassment and insecurities. Finally he flushed and nuzzled against Geoff’s collarbone with a pleased smile. “It was actually pretty incredible. I’ll spare you the details, but I will tell you that yes. He rocked my world. Several times.”

 

Geoff let out a whoop and squeezed Kerry tightly. “Dude, I’m so happy for you guys. I was fucking worried that you’d never figure your shit out and you’d both be miserable forever.”

 

“What makes you say that?”

 

“Because you’re too fucking shy to say anything and Miles has been terrified to say anything to you after that asshat Alpha fucked with your mind a few years ago.”

 

Sudden realization startled Kerry and he gasped. “Oh, shit. _That’s_ why.”

 

“That’s why, what?”

 

***

 

Miles felt almost optimistic as he and his friends climbed into Ryan’s car. After the fact, he was terribly embarrassed that he’d been so freaked out he’d literally run the entire way to Geoff and Gavin’s place from Kerry’s. Granted, Kerry’s apartment wasn’t too far. And to be fair, it was safer that he hadn’t tried to drive while so emotionally unstable. He couldn’t stop the elation that resulted from Geoff’s text message to Gavin saying that Kerry was unhurt.

 

Then a memory hit him like a sharp stab.

 

_Kerry huddled in the corner of the room, eyes wide. A growl rumbling from Miles’ throat, ferral and deep. The heavy weight of a knife in Miles’ hand._

 

“Oh, my God,” Miles whispered, tears springing to his eyes. “Oh, God…”

 

Gavin instantly snatched up his hand, eager to comfort Miles again. The emotional rollercoaster was exhausting all of them. “What’s wrong?”

 

“I just...the only thing I remember from the Rut. I was standing by the bed...Kerry was huddled in the corner looking terrified and...and I had a knife in my hand.” His voice cracked on the word knife. “I don’t...I don’t remember why or what happened after but...I remember the weight of that knife.”

 

Up front, Michael reached over and covered Ryan’s white knuckled hand on the wheel. “When we get back to Kerry’s place, he can explain. I’m sure nothing happened.” Ryan glanced over at him, then adjusted their hands so they were in a proper hold. “Geoff’s text said he was ok.”

 

“I know,” Miles agreed. “Physically. But...he was so fucking scared and _I_ put that look on his face.”

 

Gavin grabbed his face and forced him to turn. The little Omega had an unusually fierce look in his eyes. “Listen to me. There is _no way_ you would ever hurt Kerry. Ever. I don’t care if you were in Rut. There is nothing in this world, _no one_ in this world who could make you hurt Kerry. Whatever happened, it wasn’t him you were holding the knife because of. He’ll tell you the same damn thing when we get there.”

 

***

 

The knock at the door startled Geoff and Kerry from their scenting. It was rare that the two took the time to bond as packmates and Geoff had gleefully taken advantage of the opportunity while they waited for the others to show up. He caught Kerry around the waist as the Omega bounded up to answer the door. Instead, he deposited Kerry onto the couch and went to answer the door himself.

 

He was in a fantastic mood now that he knew the worst of what had happened and why it wasn’t even all that bad. And when he opened the door to see the devastated look on Miles’ face and the worry from the others, that mood evaporated.

 

“You remembered something,” he guessed as he stood back to let the little group in.

 

“A couple of things actually.”

 

“Well, let’s get into the living room and Kerry can explain.”

 

The second they entered the room, Kerry bounced up and darted to Miles. At the look on his face, he pulled up short and settled instead for reaching out and brushing his fingertips against the Alpha’s shirt. “Miles,” he whispered. He felt the guilt and fear rolling off of Miles in waves and knew the second he felt Kerry’s own relief combined with sadness that he even had to feel any guilt because Miles’ eyes filled with stunned tears.

 

Amazed, Miles reached out and curled his hand around Kerry’s jaw, tenderly trailing back to cup the back of his neck. “Oh, wow. I can _feel_ you.”

 

“Of course you can,” Kerry muttered. He allowed every positive feeling he had for Miles to flood their bond and watched as Miles’ eyes slid closed, upsetting a tear. “You have nothing to feel guilty for,” he assured his new Mate. “Absolutely nothing. And whatever you think you did wrong, I can set it right, because I never once objected to anything we did together.”

 

“There was...a knife. And you were hiding from me in the corner.”

 

A tidal wave of embarrassment rolled off of Kerry and left Miles confused. “Oh.” He shuffled forward and hid his red face in Miles’ chest. “That...ok, so you remember that stupid stuffed dog you won at that fair we went to? The one I jokingly stuffed into your shirt and decided to keep on my bed?”

 

Confused, Miles nodded. “What does that have to do with anything?”

 

“I made a stupid joke about you making Jaun jealous for taking his place on my bed and you kind of went crazy and got the knife and threatened to gut Juan. You were fine after I explained who Jaun was. I think you thought I was talking about that Alpha who fucked with me a few years ago. I mean, you still stuffed him into the closet and told him to fuck off, but at least you didn’t rip the stuffing out of him.”

 

Amusement lit Miles’ eyes and he snickered. “Ok, well what about when I pinned you face down on the kitchen counter?”

 

Kerry huffed in annoyance. “I was _cold_ and I didn’t want to get splattered in grease so I put on boxers and a shirt to make breakfast yesterday and you got all pissed off at my clothes for covering me. Thanks, by the way for literally tearing that shit off of me. You owe me knew stuff to replace it, asshole.”

 

Miles racked his brain for anything else and came up happily blank. “You’re sure I didn’t do anything to hurt you?”

 

“Like you ever would,” Kerry said with an exaggerated roll of his eyes. “Seriously, you are completely incapable of even _yelling_ at me with anything close to real anger.”

 

“Yeah, well.” Pleased, Miles buried his face in Kerry’s throat. “Helps that you’re completely amazing.”

 

“Shut up. I am not.”

 

A playful growl rumbled in his chest as he nipped playfully. “It’s impossible for you to be anything less than amazing and beautiful and perfect.”

 

“And how do you figure that?”

 

“Because you’re my Mate.” The words filled both of them with an impossible joy. “God that feels amazing to say. Holy shit, Kerry, I’ve wanted to be with you for so damn long.”

 

“Me, too. I was waiting for you to ask to court me. But you kept dancing around it, which I assume is because of that dick hole Alpha from a few years ago?”

 

“Yeah, basically. Guess...maybe I should have just asked?”

 

“Obviously.”

 

At that point, someone cooed softly behind Miles and the newly mated pair turned to stare at the audience that they had honestly forgotten about.

 

“Oh, shit. You guys are still here, huh?” Kerry said.

 

“We are indeed,” Gavin agreed with a broad grin.

 

“Well,” Geoff sighed. “Now that’s all taken care of, I assume you two will be ok if we all go home?  Cause I totally promised my Mate a special treat tonight.”

 

The grin on Gavin’s face was nothing short of predatory as he gazed at his Alpha. “You did. And I intend to collect in full.”

 

Geoff snorted and briefly moved over to scoop the new Mates up in a tight hug, laying smacking kisses on both foreheads. Then he scooped up his Omega, laughing heartily at the squawk Gavin let out and swept him out the room.

 

Michael and Ryan offered them sincere congratulations before they left, with offers to keep their phones nearby if they needed anything.

 

Then they were alone. Miles slowly turned back to Kerry. He took a moment to marvel at the feeling of finally having Kerry in his arms. He didn’t have to hide his feelings anymore. And he didn’t have to force himself to keep their physical interactions to displays of simple friendship. In a way, they had the Rut to thank for finally getting them past that previously impassable relationship barrier.

 

Still. “I’m sorry,” Miles whispered, brushing his nose lightly against Kerry’s before trailing it sweetly down his jaw.

 

Kerry was only momentarily distracted by the intimate gesture before the words registered. “If I accept your stupid apology for something that was out of your control, will you stop apologizing?”

 

“Probably not,” Miles decided. “But to be fair, I imagine a lot of apologies will be in the form of your personal gratification, so.”

 

His face was on fire and his eyes narrowed when Miles chuckled at the feeling of his embarrassment over the bond. “I think it’ll take some getting used to hearing you say things like that, but I’m up for it.”

 

“Good.” Miles caught the tender skin at the hollow of Kerry’s throat. He gave a gentle suck before releasing the skin and nibbling his way up to Kerry’s jaw again. “Because I plan to start right now.  You may have every glorious memory of our first time together, but I don’t. So I’m gonna start making memories that we can share.”

 

Kerry nodded weakly. He was sure there were words he could probably have said, but that patch of skin that Miles zeroed in on and started nibbling seemed directly linked with his higher brain functions and all he could do was sigh and melt against Miles.

 

Miles nibbled on that patch of skin long enough to see a new bruise blooming among the others.  He probably wouldn’t ever remember the others, but this one. This one he would cherish. He also had something else on his mental checklist of things he’d always wanted to experience with Kerry.  Granted that list was long and incredibly detailed (mostly from years of pent of longing and endless nights of fantasies) but there was something right up at the top of the list. The thing that had started the list, if he was being honest.

 

Kerry made a small noise of protest when Miles drew his arms from around the smaller man, but it was silenced when those broad palms smoothed over his jaw, tenderly cradling his face and tilting it just so. Understanding lit his eyes before anticipation weighed down the lids. It seemed odd that he would feel nervous about the prospect of kissing his own Mate, but he was. Terribly so.

 

Even if Kerry somehow missed the flood of nerves that bordered on terror flooding over their bond, he wouldn’t have missed the tremble of the fingers holding him still. A tiny smile quirked his lips and he brought his hands up to trail comfortingly up Miles’ sides. He nuzzled his cheek lightly into Miles’ palm as his hands slid down again before slipping under the thin, borrowed shirt. His hands finally came to rest against the warm skin at the dip of the Alpha’s spine. He tipped his head up slightly, encouraging his Mate to take what was his. “Miles,” he whispered and watched those eyes darken at the sound.

 

“Fuck, Kerry, I’ve wanted to hear you say my name like that for so long.” The words were a low rumble that Kerry felt where they were pressed together. “I just...I don’t know if I told you this while…you know, during the Rut and all, but...I love you, Kerry. So damn much. Is...did I? Tell you already?”

 

Today seemed to be a day of tears for Kerry. When he woke up alone, he’d curled into a ball and just cried. Determination had led him to call Miles after he’d calmed down again and the unanswered call resulted in more tears. He’d blubbered a little on Geoff and now this. These tears he had no issue with. Happy tears were the only acceptable tears. But because he was apparently full of happy tears, his smile was wobbly. That didn’t seem to dull Miles’ happiness because his smile was broad and never ending. “No, that’s something new.”

 

That admission sparked even more joy over their bond which, upon reaching the other, started a feedback loop and Kerry was so happy he thought he would burst. “Really?” Miles asked. Kerry nodded, too overwhelmed to speak. “Good. I’m so happy I get to remember this. God, I love you, Kerry.”

 

Kerry forced the lump in his throat down long enough to whisper a rough, “I love you, too, Miles.”

 

Despite the fierce need to kiss the life out of Kerry, Miles continued with the slow pace he had set.  He leisurely closed the gap between their mouths, pleased when the Omega made no move to push things faster aside from digging his fingertips lightly into Mile’s lower back. Lips met for a moment at a time, sweetly brushing before retreating for a heartbeat.

 

Each new kiss scrambled Kerry’s wits just that much more and by the time Miles began to lengthen each new contact, he was already dizzy with pleasure and need. But he followed the cues his Mate was giving with every breath. Because this was it. This was the slow build to equally slow love making that he’d envisioned for their first time.

 

The first time that they both clearly wanted. So Kerry let himself be led. Let himself melt into the gradually deepening kisses until Miles finally, _finally_ saw fit to dip his tongue in for brief tastes.  There was no need for words, the feelings flowing between them said more than enough.

 

It was easy to follow Miles’ gentle nudges, trusting the Alpha to guide him safely into the bedroom.  Miles eased him back onto the bed, mouths still lost in an endless chain of kisses that Kerry had no desire to ever stop. Warm hands slid firmly up his sides, taking the shirt with them. Kerry made an unhappy noise when they were finally forced to part in order to get the shirt off. To save time and prevent a repeat, Miles tore his own shirt off and tossed both aside before leaning down and capturing Kerry’s mouth again.

 

Miles was surrounded in everything Kerry. His scent swirled around him and filled him with every breath. No other taste would satisfy him now. Every inch of smooth, soft skin he explored became instantly ingrained in his fingertips. He longed to explore all that skin with his mouth, but he wasn’t quite ready to give up those lips quite yet.

 

For now he was content to let his hands memorize every dip and curve of his Mate.  Any time his hand brushed over something Kerry disliked about himself, whatever flash of shame or embarrassment he felt from the Omega was steamrolled by his own pleasure at those parts.  Every time, Kerry’s insecurities were soothed and as regretful as Miles was that they bonded while he was unable to enjoy it, he loved that he was able to use that bond to ensure that Kerry knew exactly how much he loved every inch of him.

 

At last, he was satiated by the time spent enjoying Kerry’s mouth. It was satisfying to hear how ragged his breathing was, to feel the rapid flutter of his heartbeat against his lips as he peppered kisses down that pale neck. While his lips followed the trail his hands had blazed earlier, those hands set to work on removing any remaining clothing from both of them.

 

“Miles,” Kerry whimpered, clutching helplessly at his shoulders. “Please, oh God, _please_ …I can’t...I’m so…” He made a frustrated sound and Miles couldn’t help but chuckle. Usually Kerry had any number of clever things to say for any situation. To see him at a loss for words was a rare and delightful experience he would always treasure. And while he still had so much skin left to explore, he took pity on his Omega and kissed his way back up to his mouth.

 

It took only the lightest touch to Kerry’s thigh for the Omega to make a happy noise and hitch his leg over Miles’ hip. “You ready, baby?”

 

Kerry blushed at the pet name. All they’d done already and a simple pet name still caused him to blush. “Yeah,” Kerry confirmed. He felt nervous, which was stupid. They’d already gone further than that. Hell, he’d had Miles’ tongue in his ass the night before, but somehow, this slow intimacy was more nerve wracking than anything else.

 

Miles rubbed their cheeks together comfortingly. “I’ve got you, baby. I’ve got you and I love you.”  With one arm bearing his weight above Kerry and the other hooked around Kerry’s knee for support, he leaned down and caught his mouth in another of those slow, smoldering kisses. Once he felt Kerry was sufficiently distracted, he eased his hips forward and slid into that tight, wet heat.

 

Stunned, Kerry’s back arched and his head tipped back. Which was just as well. Being inside of Kerry after so long waiting and wanting and _needing_ was so intense he was left panting against Kerry’s throat. “Holy shit,” he gasped, mouthing at the skin under his lips. “Oh fuck, you feel so damn good, Kerry. Jesus, I need a second or this won’t last.”

 

That fact was punctuated when Miles gave a subtle, involuntary rock of his hips and Kerry felt the swell of Miles’ knot already teasing his rim. “Oh god…”  Kerry arched again, unconsciously trying to get the knot in him. “Fuck, I’m close, too. Just...oh please, just do it. We’ll work up to marathon sex, I swear. Right now I just want your knot.”

 

Unprepared for the things tumbling from Kerry’s lips, Miles felt his hips start moving as if of their own accord. Desperation laced their movements, but they still managed to maintain that same sweetness from before. Kerry clutched tightly at Miles’ back, pulling him close so that their heaving chests were pressed together. Miles dipped his head again and pressed their mouths together, uncaring of the lack of finesse. They didn’t so much kiss as pant against each other’s mouths, moans and whimpers interspersed with gasps of both names.

 

By the time his knot swelled up and locked them together, Miles was dimly sort of proud of himself for how long he’d held out in the heavenly sensations his Mate had provided. Kerry squirmed against him and moaned out his own release.

 

The effort to hold himself over Kerry and not crush him had Miles’ arms trembling. With a soft snort, Kerry looped his arms around his Alpha’s shoulders and tugged him down. While they waited for Miles’ knot to go down, they basked in the closeness neither thought they would ever get.

 

It wasn’t until he was finally able to pull out and admire the sight of his and Kerry’s combined mess that a thought occurred to him. “Hey, Ker?”

 

“Yeah?” Kerry asked as he tried to sit up, then gave up immediately and flopped back down.  “Clean me up?”

 

Miles snorted and nodded. “Yeah, I will, but. I just thought...are you...you know, on anything to prevent catching?”

 

Kerry froze, then blushed heavily and shook his head. “No. I just...I guess I never saw the point because I didn’t think an Alpha would ever want me.”

 

They stared at each other for a long moment. “Is that something you’d want?”

 

There was a beat of hesitation. “I think if...if I did catch in the last few days, that’s something I’d be cool with. I look at Michael and Gavin and see how happy they are and I think ‘I want that,’ but...if I don’t catch maybe it would be better to get those pill things? You know, take some time to get used to this new relationship thing before we add another new thing.”

 

Miles grinned and leaned over to kiss Kerry again. It would never, ever get old, he decided. “Whatever you want, I want, too. Just...we’re having kids eventually. We’re too awesome not to be parents.”

 

Kerry giggled and smacked Miles with a pillow. “Just go get a towel, you made a mess of me.”

 

“Yes, Master,” Miles squealed, groveling as he darted toward the bathroom. When he returned, he carefully mopped up every bit of mess he could find before disposing of the towel and dropping onto the bed next to Kerry. “Anything else you require, Master?”

 

“Dude! Shut up!”

  
And Miles was perfectly happy to shut up in favor of drawing Kerry into another of those wonderful, sweet kisses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so I hope that made it better. I know I left it in a horrible place last chapter. I keep wanting to just move things along with our favorite trio but I keep getting distracted. For example I've now made myself want to elaborate on Geoff’s surprise for Gavin...anyway, as always prompts are always appreciated, and I love hearing from you guys (many many loves and smooches for Emono for all those sweet and encouraging things you said, I adore you!!). Special shout out to Jewelflower, this chapter is a feel better present, darling! <3 More to come soon. Until next time, bless your darling hearts!


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